Scattered Petals
by Terrence Shepard
Summary: Qrow Branwen and Ruby Rose have always had a special bond with one another. That bond's strength is put to the test when a secret that shatters the very foundations of Ruby's world comes to light. Can Qrow reconcile with her? Or will he lose her, just as he lost her mother, Summer Rose?
1. STRQ Memories

**A/N:** **Please note that events take place a few days after the end of Volume 5.**

* * *

Alcohol has always had positive and negative opinions attached to it. To some, it might be a vile substance, that dulls the mind and causes good, respectable people to become ill-mannered, foul-mouthed, and abusive. To others, it is almost a medicine, healing old, painful memories or helping to make new, happier ones. Although, to one man, in particular, it was both. Alcohol helped him forget his lifetimes worth of worries, but it also made him careless, rash, stupid even. But while under the vice-grip of inebriation, he didn't give two shits.

He sat alone, hunched over a glass of the strongest liquor the inn he was in had to offer. Its contents, however, were surprisingly untouched. Instead, the brooding huntsman clutched a half-emptied bottle in his left hand which, every so often, he would take a swig from.

All of the inn's other patrons were giving his table a wide berth purely out of fear of the terrifying weapon leaning beside him. Even collapsed, its razor-sharp blade and imposing barrels struck a sense of horror and awe into them. His attire did little to blend him in with Mistral's locals, either. The light gray dress shirt, black trousers, black leather wingtip shoes, and the torn crimson cape that he wore gave the man a rugged yet sophisticated outward look.

None of them knew him personally, but they all knew of him. This was Qrow Branwen, one of the saviors of Haven Academy, and a close friend to Professor Lionheart.

At least, that is what he wanted them to think. In reality, Qrow hadn't saved anyone and he hated Lionheart for his betrayal of himself and Ozpin. But, worst of all, he had lost his twin sister, Raven, on the night of their confrontation with Cinder at Haven.

"Fucking Raven," he muttered to himself, putting the bottle to his lips.

He was well aware that his list of allies and friends was growing shorter by the day, but he never even imagined that he would have to cross blades with his own flesh and blood. The Branwen twins were, during their time as students at Beacon, inseparable, and even though they had grown distant as of late, Qrow had hoped that he still shared some kind of familial bond with Raven. She, obviously, did not feel the same. And that was the chief reason why he was here, dulling his pain at the expense of his liver.

In his other hand, he held the old, faded photograph of Team STRQ, in all of its stained, torn, and worn glory. He always kept it on his person, protecting it like it was his own child, as it reminded him of better times when things weren't so FUBAR as they were nowadays. Or, at least, as far as he knew back then. He had memorized every detail of the image, from his own proud yet annoyed expression, to the fact that Raven was actually smiling. Taiyang before the whole "pussy dad" phase had kicked him hard in the nutsack. And Summer. Their fearless leader. Always willing to go as far out of her way as necessary to help those in need, even though, in the end, it meant her death.

Memories of combat and comradery now flooded back into his mind. One, in particular, that last mission with Summer, caused him more pain than any other. It invoked emotions of anger, self-loathing, and guilt.

* * *

It was almost fifteen years ago, to the day. Team STRQ had all but disbanded, Raven had disappeared, and Tai and Summer had settled down in order to raise Yang and Ruby. Qrow was the only one of them still taking jobs on a regular basis. He stopped by to check up on his nieces and to see how civilian life was treating his teammates.

The scent of freshly baked cookies had engulfed the house, giving it an aura of safety and comfort. It was, in a way, a bit misleading, as two of the most dangerous huntsmen to ever graduate Beacon Academy were living inside. As he stepped through the door, Qrow was greeted by Tai.

"Hey, Qrow! It's been a while. We thought that, maybe, you'd been eaten by some horrible monster or captured and killed by a bandit clan," the blond, muscle-bound man jested, extending his hand to him.

"No such luck, Oz has just been keeping me on my toes," Qrow said, returning his friend's gesture. "I was in Vacuo for two months, checking up on the headmaster of Shade Academy. Their CCT Tower has been malfunctioning lately. It's made communication damn near impossible."

"Well, it's good to see you, anyway. C'mon, I'm sure the girls will be thrilled that you're here."

The pair strode through the living room and into the kitchen. Along the way, Qrow took note of the fact that they had rearranged the furniture since the last time that he had visited. The main difference was the addition of a small playpen, likely for the now two-year-old Ruby, in the center of the room.

In the kitchen, they found all three of the other family members. Summer was crouched down, peering into the oven, waiting for the perfect moment to remove the cookies. Yang, ever an enthusiastic bundle of joy, was practically bouncing off the walls, eagerly awaiting the opportunity to devour the chocolate-chipped treats. And then there was little Ruby, sitting, contentedly, in her high-chair, knawing on a handful of strawberries.

Within seconds of him and Tai entering the room, Qrow was pounced upon by Yang. "Uncle Qrow!" she squealed with delight, wrapping herself around his leg in a strange combination of a hug and an attack. The girl was deceptively strong, and the sudden action nearly took him off his feet.

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Tai, this one's gonna grow up to be just like you," He said, after regaining his balance.

"You mean she'll have my devilish good looks and sharp wit?"

Qrow chuckled. "No. I mean she's gonna hit like a fu…firetruck." He was relieved that he was able to catch himself and not swear in front of the children. Summer had a strict rule and kept a "swear jar" handy at all times to enforce it.

Not letting her own presence be forgotten, Yang piped in. "I'm not a firetruck, I'm a girl!"

"Heh, you sure are, firecracker. And a tough one, at that," he said, tousling her hair.

She scowled in protest. It was common knowledge among their family that Yang loathed having her hair touched. She then laughed and released him from her grip when she saw Summer retrieving the cookies from the oven.

They smelled unbelievably good. Summer was a phenomenal baker, which was odd, considering how dangerous she was with a blade. She could feed you an amazing pastry and slip her sword through your ribcage in a single motion, and you would be dead before you even realized what was happening.

Not wanting to wait for them to cool, Yang began to reach for the searing hot pan, only to have her hand smacked away by the woman. "Uh-uh. You still need to wait," she scolded in her soft, yet stern voice. "Go play in your room with Ruby for a while, I'll call you when they're ready."

She was obviously annoyed, but she complied anyway. Taking Ruby out of her seat, Yang scampered off, out of the room.

Summer sighed, taking off her oven mitts and placing her hands on her hips. Her dark hair was pulled back behind her ears giving a clear view of her intense, but caring silver eyes. "Qrow Branwen, how many times am I going to have to tell not to be such a stranger?" she asked, embracing him in a hug. "It's good to see you. And I can truthfully say that I've missed you."

"I missed you too, Rose," he said. "It just hasn't been the same out there without you two with me."

With the greetings concluded, the woman directed them both to the table. While he and Tai sat down, she put a pot of coffee on and retrieved three mugs from the cabinet.

After taking her own seat, she addressed him. "Now, what brings you all the way out here to Patch, hmm? I know there aren't any huge contracts here, and I don't think you'd come all this way simply to almost swear in front of Yang. So…spill it."

Qrow laughed softly. "Yeah…sorry about that. Well, I had a little bit of time to kill, so I figured that I should at least stop in to say 'hi.'"

Taiyang Xiao Long was many things, he was strong, loyal to a fault, and brave, but above all, the man was a fucking human lie detector. He was not convinced by his blatant attempt to deceive them. "C'mon man, don't try to bullshit a bullshiter. We all know that's a bald-faced lie," he told him.

"Heh. Yeah, I should've known that wouldn't work on you. Well, as you can probably guess, I'm on a job, and I came to warn you two," Qrow said, ominously.

The spouses looked at each other with concern, they understood the kind of warning to which he was referring. It was customary among huntsmen to warn your friends and family before you took on a mission that might claim your life. The fact that Qrow was coming to them like this was worrisome, to say the least.

"What do you mean 'warn' us? What is this mission, and why is it so dangerous that you expect to die on it?" Summer asked.

Tai followed up on her inquiry. "Yeah, Qrow, there's not much out there that can make you think twice. Just what are you going up against?"

He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the argument he knew was coming. "I've been hired by some big money businessman in Vale. A group of bandits ambushed one of his convoys in the Emerald Forest," he explained. "A convoy that just so happened to be led by his daughter. Long story short, the bandits took the girl hostage and I've gotta get her back."

"And? This doesn't sound like too big of a deal. Certainly not so big that it could get you killed," Tai surmised.

"Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't be, but these are a whole different breed of bandits. Their leader in particular."

He was clearly not explaining the situation very well, conversation was never one of Qrow's strong suits. "Well, who is their leader?" Summer questioned.

His face darkened as he revealed the name of his target. A name that few had ever heard, but those who have, knew to fear it. "The Mad King, Redwood."

The air around them went cold at the mention of that dreaded name. The Mad King. The Demon of the Emerald Forest. A man so evil, stories told that even the creatures of Grimm heeded his command. His reputation as a brutal warlord and tactician was matched only by that of his mania and penchant for torture.

If the look of sheer terror in his eyes didn't give it away, Tai's shocked tone of voice certainly made it quite clear that merely by speaking that name, he had somehow doomed them all to feel the Mad King's wrath. "You can't be serious. No, this some kind of sick joke, isn't it? You're fucking with us."

Qrow shook his head somberly, indicating not only that he was speaking the truth, but that he intended to follow through with the contract.

More out of concern than fear, Summer inquired, "Qrow, you can't actually be thinking that you can take on Redwood's entire gang all on your own? I mean, you're good, but not _that_ good."

"I have to. A girl's life is at stake," he answered. "What would you do if it was Yang or, shit, Ruby? Would you sit it out because it was dangerous? No. You would go and save her."

The kitchen fell silent for a while, the both of them contemplating his words. They understood that they wouldn't be able to dissuade him, and that, if he went alone, he would probably get himself killed. One of them had to go with, whether he liked, or not. It was just a question as to who.

"I'm going with you," they both stated, in unison.

Tai shifted his gaze to his wife. "No. Absolutely not. You are not going, I am," he commanded.

"Tai, this mission will require subtlety, and, no offense, you are more of a brute force kind of fighter. Besides you need to stay and continue Yang's schooling. It has to be me," Summer refuted.

Now he was more angry than afraid. "Dammit, Summer. I'm not letting you do this," he yelled, suddenly standing up and slamming his fist into the table.

"Tai, I can make my own decisions, and right now, I'm choosing to help Qrow."

Qrow, despite all of his better judgment, interrupted the quarreling couple. "Look, I appreciate the offer, but I can't ask either of you to come and risk your lives with me."

Summer then addressed them both. "Good, because I'm going, whether you like it or not, and that's final."

While, deep down, he wanted to object, and to lock her in a closet until she came to her senses, Tai knew that arguing with the woman was futile. No matter what he said or did, she would still win.

The tense mood was immediately broken by a very confused Yang, entering the room. "Mom, why are you Dad yelling at Uncle Qrow?" The little girl's sweet, innocent voice was a breath of fresh air that helped calm the agitated adults.

Not wanting to upset her, Summer was quick to make up a clever lie. "We were…we were trying to decide who gets the first cookie," she fibbed. "But, now that you're here, I think that you should have it." The four-year-old proved just as easy to fool with sweets as one would expect. That is to say, very. Taking a handful of cookies from the tray, Summer handed them to Yang. "Now, why don't you go share these with Ruby. The grown-ups need to talk for a little while, but when we're done, you, your sister, and Uncle Qrow can go play outside."

The child eagerly accepted the idea. "Okay," she said, cheerfully.

They all watched as the human ray of sunshine skipped out of sight, humming an unrecognizable melody all the way. Once she was out of earshot, Summer pointed at Qrow and told him, "You can stay for tonight. Tomorrow morning, you and I will catch a ferry to Vale. From there, you'll lead the way. Any questions?"

He chuckled, it felt good to be taking orders from his team leader again. "No, ma'am."

Satisfied with his response, she concluded, "Good. Now, would you like a cookie?

* * *

 **A/N: I apologize for the shortness of this chapter. I just felt like there was an overwhelming amount of information being dropped all at once, so I decided to split this chapter into two parts. Part two will be coming soon.**


	2. As the Crow Flies

**A/N: Holy Rudolf's Balls, Batman! This chapter coming out on Christmas is a complete coincidence. Either way, enjoy your day of gifts, happiness, and hoping that the patron saint of prostitutes (look it up) will slide his fat ass down your flue.**

* * *

Qrow never was very fond of nautical travel. It wasn't that he was afraid of the water, he could swim with the best. It was more of a concern regarding his Semblance. Being the living embodiment of misfortune, he was worried that the boat would run aground or spring a leak for no reason whatsoever. This, however, was not the main cause of his paranoia.

Summer had obviously picked up on his agitation, as he was vigorously tapping his finger on the guardrail. Placing her hand on his shoulder, she told him, "It's gonna be fine. We'll make it to Vale and then the job will be over before you know it."

"That's the plan, at least," he said, her attempt to console him clearly not proving successful. "But I'm not so sure. With my Semblance in play, anything could go wrong, at any time."

"Well, if that happens, we can handle it," she replied. "Qrow, we've been partners for a long time, when have you ever known me to back down from a fight?"

"Never," he conceded.

"Exactly. And if you think I'll run away from this, and let you go and get yourself killed," she paused, letting her words sink in. "Then Ozpin must have fucked your brain up something serious when he gave you those powers."

Deep down, he knew that Summer was right. He needed her here with him, not just to watch his back, but for emotional support. Ever since Raven had left, abandoning Tai with a newborn Yang, Qrow had been in a downward spiral. He couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible for his twin's actions. Not a day would go by that he didn't think that, had he been there, maybe he could have talked her into staying.

In those days, he and Summer had been in a relationship, and she was his only source of comfort, the only one that would hold him close and tell him "it'll be alright." Their time as a couple hadn't lasted long past then, however. They broke up soon after Yang's birth. Not because of some huge fight or disloyalty. They both simply decided that, among other things, it wasn't working out in a way that benefited all parties involved. Nowadays, they still maintained a healthy friendship.

"I get that, but if anything happened to you, Tai would never forgive me…Shit, I could never forgive myself."

Summer understood his fear. Despite his gruff exterior, Qrow cared deeply about his family and wished nothing more than to keep them safe. "Okay, if something does happen, Tai's a big boy, he may be mad at first but, eventually, he'll come around," she said. In order to get his full attention, she pulled back her hood and turned his head to look her in the eyes. "And you won't have to forgive yourself. Remember, I chose to come on this mission. I want to be here."

Hearing her say it out loud helped ease his nerves, allowing him to clear his head and relax a bit. He smiled and thought to himself, " _Dammit, woman. You're sure not making this whole 'platonic relationship' thing very easy."_ She was invoking feelings within him that he knew she would find inappropriate, in layman's terms, she was giving him a massive brain-boner.

"Well, Ms. Rose, are you certain you want to be seen standing quite so close to a rogue, such as I?" he jested in a goofy, seductive voice. Indeed, she had, unconsciously, moved in very close during their conversation. "Why…if your husband got word…consider the implications. Scandalous. Simply scandalous!"

That certainly lightened the mood, as Summer let loose her signature, high-pitched laugh and playfully punched him in the arm. "You dick," she giggled. "Here I am, trying to convince you that we're not gonna die. And then you pull some stupid shit like that?"

They bantered back and forth for a while longer, swapping mock insults and jokes. Among them was Summer's most impressive arsenal of puns which she had accumulated by spending time with Tai. Eventually, they both fell silent, simply enjoying each other's company and taking in their surroundings. They were lucky to have caught the ferry-boat off of Patch so early in the morning. Aside from the fact that they could now spend the rest of the day making their way through the Emerald Forest, they were treated to a beautiful sunrise coming up over the horizon. The sky, a mix of all different shades of orange, pink, and blue, and the light dancing off the water gave the whole ride a constant feeling of tranquility. The current rushing by beneath them provided a soothing layer of background noise. All in all, the scene helped take their minds off of the impending peril that they would soon face.

* * *

The rest of the ride was, to say the least, uneventful. The boat made port in the City of Vale by seven o'clock. From there, they began making their journey on foot. The city was quite busy, despite it being so early. Street vendors were already peddling their wares, construction workers filed into and out of the new mall complex, and the roads were filled with motor traffic.

Qrow had always felt at home in big cities such as this. They allowed him to disappear, to fade into the crowd. But, then again, he was also very wary of them, around every corner there was someone that could potentially try to rob, kill, or, worst of all, sell something to him.

Gesturing to the environment around them, he asked Summer, "Kinda makes you appreciate the fact that this mission takes us out into the middle of nowhere, huh?"

She looked up from her scroll, on which she had been gathering as much intel pertaining to Mad King Redwood as she could, to little avail. "Hmm? Did you say something?"

"What I'm saying is, if Redwood had kidnapped the girl somewhere in the city, we would never be able to find her. There're just too many places to lay low," he explained. "But since he made his base out in the woods, we at least have a vague idea of where we're going."

She put the device away. "You've got a point," she responded. "But, if they were anywhere in the city, we could ask around, find witnesses, maybe even get the help of the local law enforcement."

As if on cue, a pair of what appeared to be detectives passed by them, having a conversation about something that could only be described as "less than legal."

"You get your money from Papa yet?" one asked the other.

"Yeah," he replied. "And he threw in a little extra for gettin' rid of that nosy shopkeeper."

Upon hearing this, Summer's opinion regarding Vale's constabularies was swiftly changed. "Okay…Maybe not."

"' _Protect and Serve'_ my ass. Those guys are more crooked than a Geist's dick," Qrow criticized. He hated dirty cops more than the criminals that they pretended to chase. No matter how much he wanted to, there was no amount of evidence that could justify him taking one down.

"That may be true, but we can't get distracted. Remember, we're on a time crunch here," she said. "Every minute we waste here is one less that girl has to live."

"Right. Speaking of which, you got any ideas on how we're gonna get in and, more importantly, out of Redwood's camp?"

She pulled her hood back up to shield her eyes from the intense morning sun. "A few. None of them good, though. Give me some time and I'll think of something."

Their trek through the concrete jungle continued on for another three hours, as they were on foot. The way was made difficult by the city getting more and more crowded and busy as the day progressed. For every block that they walked, it seemed as though there were ten more, just brimming with the citizens of Vale, in their way. Finally, the pair of hunters reached the edge of the Emerald Forest by midday.

Despite it being winter, and as such, nearly freezing, the trees and ground foliage were still quite green and lively. The dense growth caused the way forward to be shrouded and dim, giving off an eerie sense of dread. Qrow thought about all of the missions that he and the rest of Team STRQ had taken in the ancient wood. Never before had he been actually afraid to enter it. Now, the mere idea of the threat that they faced within, and the possibility that one or both of them could be killed, sent a chill down his spine.

He turned to Summer and said sternly, "Are you ready? I mean, we still have good fifty miles to walk. But once we set foot in there, there's no turning back."

She pulled back her hood, revealing her eyes, which were usually soft and loving, but now were cold and determined. "Yes. That girl is counting on us, we can't let her down."

Qrow was filled with a mix of pride and regret when he saw her resolve. Sure, she was putting her own life at risk, coming with him. But there was no one he

would have rather had at his side. He popped his jacket's collar in a vain attempt to block some of the harsh wind, took a deep breath, and sighed. "Alright. Let's fuckin' get this over with."

* * *

Later that evening, a blanket of clouds had covered the sky as far as the eye could see. The wind howled and whipped at the treetops. A storm was coming. It was as if nature itself was trying to halt their progress towards Redwood's camp. Still about ten miles away from their destination, Summer had decided to make camp. Not just because of the ever-worsening weather conditions, but to lessen the chances of their discovery by a wandering scout. After all, who could say that the bandits would let the girl live if a pair of huntsmen were found trying to rescue her?

The spot she chose was perfect. A small cave surrounded by brush and undergrowth. It provided adequate protection from the elements and a line of sight in nearly all directions.

To minimize the weight of their packs, they had only brought one tent, as one of them would always be on watch while the other caught some shut-eye. By the time night fell upon the forest, Summer had the tent set up in the cave and Qrow was preparing a wholesome meal of jerky and freeze-dried fruit.

"Dinner of champions!" he announced sarcastically.

Summer laughed, the phrase had become one of his traditions when Team STRQ was still taking on jobs. It, of course, got very old, very quickly. Nowadays, to hear him say it sent a wave of nostalgia over her. "You know, if Tai were here, he'd kick your ass if he heard you say that," she informed him. "He has nightmares where all he hears is you with that stupid phrase."

"Hah. No shit? Well, I'll have to ask him about that, sometime."

She came over and sat down, next to him. They couldn't risk a fire. Not while they were so far into Redwood's territory. Instead, they made do with a small storm lantern. It didn't do shit to keep them warm, but at least they could see with it. She took a piece of jerky and began gnawing on it.

"Now. How's about you tell me about this job, huh?" she inquired between bites. "Who is this girl we're rescuing?"

Qrow nodded. It had been a pretty big lapse in judgment for him to bring Summer all this way without giving her the slightest bit of information. "Well, her name is Marigold Stiltz, nineteen. She's the heiress to a big-time logging company based out of Vale," he explained. "According to her father, this was her first time overseeing a convoy solo. It was supposed to be a routine job; but a landslide took out their mountain route, which was, apparently, much safer than cutting straight through the forest. Anyway, long story short, the caravan got ambushed by the Mad King's raiding party. Killed everybody except Marigold and one guard that they sent to give the ransom notice. He figured she'd be worth a few million Lien to her dad."

"Okay…Is she?"

"Yeah. You asked what was in my pack when we left your place. It's the ransom money," he said, gesturing to his bag.

Summer gave a sigh of relief. "Well, that makes things a lot easier."

"You're right. But I'm not so sure that they'll just let us walk out after handing it over," he speculated. "My original idea was to shoot my way out after making the exchange. But now that you're here, you can come up with a better plan."

She chuckled, taking a swig from her water canteen. "Actually, that is my plan…some of it, anyway."

"Please tell me you're kidding."

"No, that's the plan. You and I go in, pay for the girl's release, and when Redwood tries something, you amplify your Semblance," she elucidated. "The way I figure it, that should give us an edge and in all the chaos, we escape."

"Alright, but there's still the fact that we'll be on foot. I doubt Marigold will even be able to walk, let alone run. How are we gonna outrun a whole army of bandits?"

Qrow saw a spark of creative mischief glint in her eyes. "Oh, my dear, _that_ is where it gets fun. See, I did a _lot_ of research on this guy's recent activity. And during said research, I discover that our friend, the Mad King, has in his possession one state of the art Atlesian military airship." Summer was thrilled with herself for devising a plan that involved hijacking a stolen aircraft. "An airship that we can commandeer and fly straight home."

" _Well, shit, we might actually be able to pull this off,_ " he thought. Team STRQ had a very colored history of stealing various types of vehicles, airships included. It was one of the things that made them infamous at Beacon.

"You've thought of almost everything, haven't you?" he asked.

She smiled. "Just about, yeah. There're a few more details to discuss later, but for now, I've got something for you."

"You what?"

"Well…since it was your birthday last month, and you weren't around then, I figured now would be as good a time as any to give you your present," she explained, rummaging through her bag and eventually producing a small gift-wrapped box.

The parcel was a little bit larger than a CD case and was covered in white and red polka dot wrapping paper. It felt heavier than a trinket or knick-knack, about half a pound. Summer had made a habit of celebrating here teammates' birthdays every year, whether they ask for it or not. It was just one more thing about her that Qrow found endearing.

"Summer, how many times have I told you that you don't need to keep doing this?" he asked. "My birthday just means that I'm one year closer to becoming an old man."

"Enough. And how many times have _I_ told _you_ that I don't give a shit? I'm doing it anyway," she retorted, playfully jabbing her finger into his arm. "Just open it."

"Alright, alright, I will," he said.

The wrapping tore off easily, revealing a fancy black box with a strange, intricate logo on the front. When he removed the lid, Qrow found a leather-bound steel flask. Inlaid on the leather was his symbol, a pair of gears, surrounded by a crow's wing.

"Summer, I…I don't know…"

"I know you don't drink all that much. But now if you ever want something a little strong than water when you're on the road, you've got it." She leaned over and wrapped her arms around him, "Happy birthday, Qrow," she whispered.

"Thank you for this. It means a lot," he replied.

Then, out of nowhere, she pressed her lips to his, and for a single, fevered moment they both felt emotions stirring deep within them that they had abandoned long ago. He returned the kiss, cherishing every second of it. It had been years since he'd felt this way, and he'd be damned if he was going to let it go to waste. However, he also understood the fact that those days were behind them, and now she had Tai. No matter how much he wanted her back, Qrow knew that Summer Rose wasn't his anymore.

It appeared as though she knew it as well, because an instant later, she pulled herself off of him. Even in the darkness of night, her face was beet red. "I uh…I," she stammered. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me." She cupped her head in her hands in an effort to cover her shame.

"No, you don't have to apologize for anything. I should have stopped you, but…well, I guess I didn't want to."

"I don't know what I was even thinking. For a minute, I just forgot where I was. I thought it was years ago when we would go on missions like this, just the two of us…together."

He had exactly the same thoughts. One minute they were here, planning for a raid on a bandit camp, the next, they were young adults, still in love with one another.

"I get it. I do. It was stupid of me to let you get to me like that," he said. "But…in all honesty, I can't say that a part of me didn't like it."

She looked up at him, and then he noticed that she had tears welling up in her eyes. He wondered what he said to upset her.

"Hey, hey, what's wrong? What'd I say?" he asked, shifting his position and wrapping an arm around her.

"You didn't say anything. It's not something you said," she sniffed, leaning back into him. "It's what you can't say. I know that you still have feelings for me, and I'm a piece of shit for basically rubbing it in your face that I'm married."

She wasn't wrong. He did feel a little cheated by the kiss, but he knew better than to say as much. "Hey, look at me," he told her. "I made my choice a long time ago. Just like you when you decided to come here with me. I chose to let you go, and now I'm living with that, whether I like it or not. How I feel is in no way your problem."

Neither of them knew who he was trying to convince more, her or himself. His intent was clear, he was attempting to alleviate Summer's concerns for him; and it helped ease her mind, if only slightly. However, on the whole, his words fell on deaf ears.

"Qrow, you say that, but I can't help but feel like I'm making things worse just by being here," she whimpered, tugging at his heartstrings even more.

"You may be right, you coming with me might have brought back a few old memories," he consoled. "But there is no one I would rather have at my back."

Her breath started to slow. She was beginning calming down, accept his reassurances. "You're sure? You don't blame me for that kiss?"

"Absolutely. You with Tai now, you two are happy together, and I'm happy for you," he said. "Besides, even if you weren't, you could do so much better than an asshole like me."

That caused her to laugh softly. Wiping her eyes, Summer smiled. "Thank you, Qrow. That's been something on my mind for a while now. I guess it just took a stupid mistake to finally get me to talk about it."

"You know what? I understand, you never could stand to let anybody else stay sad for very long. It's one of the things I love about you."

"Yeah, well…sometimes I wish I wasn't so damn empathetic. It'd sure as hell make disciplining the girls easier. But I'm glad you don't hate me. I couldn't handle losing another friend."

"I would never leave you, Tai, or the girls. You're all stuck with me."

She stood up, stretching out to relieve the soreness of sitting on the floor of the cave. "Good to hear," Summer groaned. "Anyways, it's late we need our sleep. Do you mind taking the first watch?"

"No. You go ahead, sleep well. Tomorrow we've got a shitload of work," he told her. "G'night, Summer."

"Night, Qrow," she said, disappearing into the tent.

And with that, he was left alone in the cave. Finishing off the last of his jerky, he resigned himself to staring, blankly off into the woods. The pair of hunters were certainly in for a tough time the following day. For now, they were merely guests of the seemingly infinite Emerald Forest and all the monsters that called it home.

* * *

 **A/N: So…Yeah, Qrow and Summer had a thing for each other back in the day. Also, during the editing phase, I noticed that there was a lot more language in this chapter than the previous one. I guess it's because they're out of the house and away from the kids.**


	3. The Mad King and His Golden Girl

**A/N: HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYBODY!**

 **Thank you to everyone who left a review on the previous chapter. I wasn't sure how people would take the kiss, but you made some interesting points. Yes, it was a mistake for Summer to kiss Qrow. I simply wanted to give their relationship that awkward feeling that you would get if you ran into your ex at the store. Side note, the whole scene just reminded me of something you'd see in an episode of "Friends."**

 **P.S. Because I'm a sick fuck, this chapter is going to touch on some very dark subjects. You've been warned.**

* * *

"Ugh, hurry it up!" Summer called. They were less than two miles from the Mad King's camp, and Qrow, for some inane reason had stopped to "answer nature's call" as it were. "Why didn't you go before we left the cave?"

"I didn't have to go then," he retorted sarcastically. " _The Octagon_ has a mind of its own."

The childish response served only to annoy her further. There they were, about to attempt one of _the_ ballsiest rescues of their entire careers, and he thought it would be funny to take a piss break. And, to be fair, her reaction was quite amusing. The silver-eyed huntress's face turned beet red, and she pursed her lips with anger.

"Qrow," she growled. "Finish up now or I'm coming over there and cutting _The Octagon_ off."

She could have done it too. Summer was famous for her unorthodox, yet deadly choice of weapon. She wielded a kyoketsu-shoge, a hooked dagger attached to a ring-shaped weight at the end of a long rope. _White_ _Thorn_ , as it was called, was effective in most types of combat. The small blade was useful in stealth scenarios, could be thrown and easily retrieved in long-range battles, and the weight was an excellent way to entangle enemies. Over the years, she had learned many creative ways to utilize the instrument, very few of them pleasant for her opponents.

Not wanting to put her threat to the test, he followed her commands. Shaking any remaining liquid gold off of himself, he zipped up and made his way over to her. "Alright, I'm here," he grumbled.

"You're insufferable."

"I try."

She let out a groan. "Just shut up, look," she pointed out into the distance, handing him a pair of binoculars.

They were stood at the top of a ridge, overlooking Redwood's stronghold. It was big, bigger than any other bandit hideout they'd ever assaulted. Eight tall watchtowers lined its oaken walls, providing a clear line of sight in all directions. Thankfully the huntsmen were surrounded by foliage, masking their presence. Without this, they would have been spotted for sure. Encompassing the wall was a very wide, very deep trench, at the bottom of which were hundreds of wooden stakes. Whether these were meant for Grimm or people, Qrow was unsure. The only visible entrance or exit to the place was an imposing drawbridge, large enough to fit a Deathstalker through with ease.

Inside, they could just barely make out a group of campfires, above which hung several adult-sized cages, a few of them filled. These were likely used to house captives or slaves, as Redwood had quite the reputation as a brutal slaver. The thought of what kinds of things that Marigold was enduring within those walls made Qrow sick to his stomach.

"That depraved cunt," he snarled. "He's cooking people alive."

Summer acknowledged his condemnations with a nod, "He's a monster. No matter what happens today, he needs to die."

He silently agreed. Despite all of the heroic and noble ideas that came with being a hunter, they were no better than common foot soldiers when it came to taking lives. In the academies, they taught students that they would be fighting the Creatures of Grimm. However, in reality, they were actually being trained to kill people. This was a textbook example of a target that deserved justice in the coldest sense of the word, they both knew that.

"You're right," he affirmed. "Get ready, Redwood, you sick fuck. Here we come."

"Come on, let's get this over with," she commanded. "I want to be out of this damn forest by nightfall."

With that, they began making their way down the hill, towards the intimidating structure. All the way, Qrow contemplated the many different methods that he could incorporate when he ended the Mad King's life. He particularly liked the idea of inserting _Harbinger_ into his rectum and, ever so gently, converting it into its scythe setting. The image of the sadistic bastard's face as the thick, curved blade shredded his innards and split him in half gave him a disturbing sense of pleasure.

At the base of the slope, they came across an earthen road. Deep tire tracks and hoof-prints in the mud indicated that it had been used recently. Their feet sank into the ground with each step as they started following it to the gate. Finally, they came to the end of the trail, as evidenced by the sheer drop into the moat of oaken spikes.

From above, a gravelly female voice called out to them. "Oi! Hold up there. You've come to the supreme kingdom of 'is Majesty, King Redwood. What's ya business?"

They looked up to see a slender figure, swathed in tattered green robes, with a rather unpleasant-looking rocket-launcher trained on them.

" _Stick to the plan,_ " he thought. "I'm Qrow Branwen. We're here to deliver the money for the ransom of Marigold Stiltz."

To back up his words, he reached behind his back and produced his ragged pack. Unzipping it revealed a small sample of the one-point-five million lien inside. The guard peeked over the sight of her weapon to view the bag. Then mumbled something into her radio.

After a few agonizing minutes, she called back down to them. "The King's agreed to see ya." The gate began to lower, slowly. "Keep yer 'ands where we can see 'em, or there won't be enough of you left ta bury!"

Following the instructions, the hunters kept their hands held above their heads. As soon as they stepped through, their only way out was closed, locking them in with the worst bandit tribe on Sanus.

A greasy, little, imp of a man slinked up to them, arms wide open as though he were planning to embrace them in a hug. He halted a few feet away and placed a hand on his chest, leaning into a flamboyant bow. "Flaxen Poppart, at your service." He was garbed in a rather silly woolen tunic and breeches, both the same, dingy mustard color. Atop his misshapen head was an equally ridiculous cap, which was made up of leather, twigs, and gold, of all things. He smiled at Qrow with a grill of filthy yellow teeth. "Welcome to the magnificent domain of the illustrious King Redwood, Master Branwen, and Mistress Rose," he hissed.

The pair glanced at each other with confused and worried expressions. "Umm...How do you know who we are?" Summer asked.

"Why, my dear lady, I have the singular honor of being the majesty's steward. The Mad King knows all who set foot within his realm," he explained. "And he has sent me to fetch the guests to the kingdom and escort you to him."

"Okay then, lead the way I guess," Qrow said uneasily.

"Very well. If you'll follow me, please." The hunchbacked man began sauntering away.

He led the reaper and the white hooded assassin through the main square of the camp. There they saw a big tent containing a smithy. weapon-racks lining the interior. Brigands of all shapes and sized filed in and out, bringing in weapons to be repaired, sharpened, upgraded. The ones leaving carried an assortment of death machines to all corners of the camp.

To the left of the smith was another tent, likely a doctor of some degree, as blood coated the table inside. Either that, or it was one of Redwood's infamous playrooms. The latter seemed more plausible, as several of the hanging cages they'd seen from the ridge were nearby. In one of them was what could only be described as pure torture. A small, emaciated corpse had its legs removed, a process that was undoubtedly horrific to endure. But worse than that, two iron hooks were jabbed into the eye sockets of the figure and were attached to the bars of the cage. This prevented its occupant from moving his or her head in an attempt to get any sort of rest. It was a truly appalling sight.

Qrow shuddered as they passed by.

A few yards past there, they noted the airship that Summer had mentioned the night before. The bandits had remodeled it to match their own colors, painting over the Atlesian Military emblem with the Mad King's symbol of a crooked crown offset by two bull's horns. It sat on a large platform and was apparently under heavy guard. Getting into the ship would be rather easy. Escaping in it, while dodging sniper and rocket fire, that would be a little tricky.

Finally, they arrived at a huge longhouse of crude, yet sturdy design. A heavy, red, wooden door was now the only thing between them and the Demon of the Emerald Forest.

Poppart turned to face the hunters. "Now then, You are about to enter the court of the Mad King. If you wish to keep your skin attached to your bones, you must follow my instructions to the letter.

"You shall speak only when spoken to. While his excellency has permitted you to keep your weapons, any attempt to brandish them without explicit permission will result in the instantaneous execution of Mistress Stiltz and yourselves. Have I made myself crystal clear?"

"Yes, you have," Summer affirmed.

Qrow followed suit with his partner and nodded in confirmation.

"Very well."

Reaching to his right, their guide pulled on a rope, which in turn rang a bell, signaling for the door to be opened. They were granted ingress as the redwood entryway slowly creaked open.

Inside, they were treated to a wondrous viewing of a bull turning on a roasting spit above a raging fire. Scattered all around it were various cooking utensils: knives, forks, pots, pans, and a barrel full of what they could only assume was wine. The rest of the interior was very dimly lit. It seemed as though the fire-pit was the only source of light. Shadows danced across the walls, creating haunting shapes, giving the scene an even greater sense of unease than that which they had previously felt.

Peering past the searing bovine, Qrow could just barely make out the figure of a muscle-bound mountain of a man sitting atop a throne of wood, fur, and bones.

"My liege, allow me to present to you, Summer Rose and Qrow Branwen. They have come to provide the ransom for Mistress Marigold," Flaxen announced, timidly.

With a grunt, the King acknowledged his underling's introduction of his guests.

The steward continued. "M'lady, Master, please step forward and enter the court of the Mad King Redwood."

They did, and then their only exit yet again closed behind them. When they made their way around the blazing inferno, they stopped dead in their tracks as the giant stood and began stepping down from his throne, The very foundation of the building trembling with each stride.

After what seemed like an eternity, light from the fire illuminated the hulk. If Qrow had to describe this monster in one word, it would be titanic. Broad shoulders were covered in various furs, a single, charred bull skull acting as a brooch. Down below, he was slightly more odd in his choice of attire. Wrapped around his waist was a faded plaid kilt, decorated with yet more skulls, this time of the human variety.

Intense brown eyes above a thick auburn beard gave him a likeness akin to that of a lumberjack. But the true terror of their target came in the form of two massive curved horns protruding from his copper mane. Betwixt which, sat a chipped golden crown with a single piece of obsidian in the center. There was no doubt about it, this was Mad King Redwood.

He stopped mere inches from Summer, leaning in so close that he appeared to be kissing her. "Summer Rose," even speaking in a hushed tone, his voice was as loud as thunder. "You...have silver eyes."

Despite clearly being scared beyond all reason, she maintained her posture. "What about my eyes?" she demanded.

The bandit lord chuckled. "Well, it's just that...I've met a few others like you in the past. Killed a few, too.

"And that I know someone who would pay dearly for me to cut those beautiful mirrors out of your head."

Because of his work for Ozpin, Qrow knew the person he was referring to. Salem, the Witch as old as time. The enemy of humanity.

"Anyway, we're getting off topic," Redwood continued. "You're not here to give me your eyes. You're here for the girl. Marigold, my little spring blossom. Well, I suppose it can't be helped. Daddy wants his little girl back, and who am I to stand in his way."

He clambered back up onto his throne.

"I assume you have the money?"

Qrow stepped forward, lifting his bag up for him to see the lien inside.

The faunus nodded with approval. "Poppart!" he yelled. "Escort these two fine hunters to our other guest. Then, bring all three back here."

The little man bowed respectfully. "As you command, my lord," he sniveled. "Right this way, good people. Come see your prize."

* * *

Flaxen led them down a narrow, dark staircase. Were it not for the lantern that he held, the corridor would have been pitch black. Along the walls, Qrow could just barely make out the indentions of fingernail and claw marks, likely caused by Redwood's more unlucky visitors.

At the bottom, they entered a cramped, cobblestone chamber. The room was divided in two by a wall of iron bars with a crude gate in the center. The air was thick and damp, moss lined the floor and walls, and rats scurried to and fro. Inside the cell, huddled against the back wall, they could see a small ragged bundle of cloth. Upon closer examination, however, it became clear that the figure was Marigold.

The girl hid her face as the light struck her, shivering and whimpering in abject terror.

"Well, Mistress, it appears that your saviors have arrived," Redwood's slave said through the bars. "These two are here to take you home."

The petrified girl looked up at the pair of strangers that he mentioned, her green eyes wide with fear.

"Yes, that's right. Now, do be a dear and stand up straight. The King has asked to see you."

Tears began streaming down the pitiful young woman's grimy face at the notion of Redwood's company.

"Now, where in the world have those keys got to? I swear nothing is ever where you need it when you need it."

The imp started searching the room intently for the jailer's keyring. Grumbling to himself, he barely paid any mind when Summer crouched down, pulling back her hood.

"Marigold? I'm Summer, and this is Qrow. We're getting you out of here," her soft voice was barely more than a whisper. "We're taking you home to your father."

She responded to the words of comfort with a reaction that was a great deal more frantic. "Please," she whimpered, grabbing the woman's cloak through the bars. "You can't let him take me to the monster again. I can't take the thought of him..."

"Hey hey. Shh shh shh. It's okay now. We're not gonna let anyone hurt you."

She was clearly hysterical and wasn't hearing what Summer had to say. "He took me. When I first got here, he took me and he...he..." She took a deep breath, letting her heart rate lower a bit. "I can feel his child in my belly," she cried softly.

"Fuck..." Qrow said, prompting a glare from his partner.

Summer understood his sentiment though. What this girl had endured over the past few weeks would have driven any normal person to insanity. She was remarkably strong-willed to have survived this long. Although, Marigold's next words quickly changed her opinion.

"The things he did to me...It hurts just to breath. I don't want to go home anymore. I just want the pain to stop," her tone had shifted drastically. Mere seconds before, she had been frantic and adamant that she be let out. Now, she was apathetic and dreary, like she'd given up on life. "You have a knife," she perked up as she noted the blade at Summer's belt.

Both members of Team STRQ had a bad feeling as for where this conversation was headed. "...Yes...What about it?"

"Could I...borrow it?"

Qrow shook his head slightly when she looked back at him for guidance as to how to proceed. "No, Marigold. You can't borrow it," he stated sharply.

The captive girl began getting agitated. Beads of sweat were forming on her brow and she was rubbing her hands together expectantly. Staring intently at _White Thorn,_ she continued, "All it'll take is just one cut to make the pain go away. You could just tell my father that I was dead when you got here, and he would never have to know this happened."

Despite the horrifying change in the theme the talk had taken, Summer remained cool and level-headed. "Marigold, I'm sorry but I can't let you do that to yourself. When we get out of here, we can find you a doctor. We'll get you the help you need."

That flipped a switch in the heiress's head. The tears that were welling in her eyes now flowed like a river down her face, her gaze became so piercing it could have cut through the bars of her cell, and she grit her teeth to the point of cracking them. "You're not here to help me," she seethed. "You're working for _him_!" She slammed against the gate, reaching though in a desperate, vain attempt to steal the blade. " _Give it to me!"_ she screamed. " _Let me have it! I need to make the pain stop!_ "

The cries drew the attention of Flaxen, who looked up from his search for the keys. "What's going on here?" he angrily demanded. "I look away for one minute and you two get her all riled up.

"Mistress Marigold, please do calm down," he said. "Your shouts are making it very difficult to find the keys to your chambers."

Tired of waiting, and eager to get the broken girl out of this cesspool, Qrow groaned. "Here, let me get her out."

Brandishing _Harbinger,_ the red-eyed huntsman smashed through the gate in one swift strike.

"There...open."

Although he disapproved of the method, the lanky man couldn't deny that the cell was, indeed, open. He then proceeded to grab the screaming girl by her wrists and drag her out of the room and up the stairs, her cries echoing throughout the building. "Come along now, good hunters. The King wishes to speak with you before sending you on your way."

When she was certain that he was out of earshot, Summer turned to Qrow, who had the same look of despair and anger on his face as she did. "Remember, no matter what, Redwood dies today," she reminded him, venom dripping from every word. "When I get the chance, I'm taking my shot. Be ready."

He nodded. And with that, they headed back up the stairs, toward the monster that destroyed that poor girl's psyche.

* * *

When they entered the main chamber again, Marigold was on her hands and knees, weeping. The source of her distress was standing over her, his lips curled into an evil smile. "Don't cry, my dear," he said in a sickeningly loving voice. "I'll always be with you, no matter where you are." He then turned his attention to the duo. "Well, it seems our time together is at an end.

"If you'll give me the ransom, my little friend here will count it. And then you three can head on your merry way."

With a disdainful grunt, Qrow tossed the pack containing the money to him. "It's all there," he said.

"I'm sure it is. But you'll forgive me if I don't take you at your word."

No one but Flaxen moved for a full seven minutes while the lien was counted. The clack of the cards and the sobs of the hostage heiress were the only sounds in the longhouse. The imp had about him a jubilancy that one wouldn't expect from a man that stood by and watched as an innocent girl had unspeakable horrors inflicted on her. It was for this reason, that Qrow decided he would die alongside his master. "Your Majesty, the full amount you requested is here. One and a half million lien."

The Mad King nodded. "Of course it is. This fine gentleman said it would be," he affirmed, pushing Marigold across the floor towards them. "She's all yours. Do be gentle with her. She's dreadfully delicate." He let loose a hearty, insulting laugh which sent shivers Qrow's spine.

The scythe wielder helped the mentally scarred woman to her feet, allowing her to lean and cry into his shoulder. "Okay, you've got your money. Can we go now?"

"Of course. You are free to leave at your leisure. Flaxen will show you out of the camp. It's been a pleasure doing business with you."

As they turned to leave, Summer injected. "One last thing, Redwood."

"Hmm? What is it, Miss Rose?"

Her eyes cold and piercing, she made one final threat the demon in faunus skin. "What you've done to this girl...it's unforgivable. You're a monster, and I'm a huntress. And do you know what huntresses do?"

The room fell silent as her rhetorical question hung in the air, daring someone to answer it.

" _We kill monsters!_ "

Within the span of two seconds, so many things happened. The first was Summer activating her semblance. She disappeared into a cloud of white rose petals and reappeared behind Redwood's back an instant later. With all of the rage and hate she could muster, she attempted to plunge _White Thorn_ into his spine. However, the blow merely served to weaken his aura by a small amount and awaken the devil within him.

He released an otherworldly howl. "Aaaarrrghhh! _Yyyooouuu!_ " Displaying speed that should have been impossible for a man of his size, he whipped around, grabbing Summer by the neck. "You really shouldn't have done that!" he laughed as he began to squeeze the life out of the white-caped warrior.

Through sheer will, she managed to cough out a single order to Qrow. " _Run!_ "

And he did. Picking Marigold up in a fireman's carry, he bolted for the door. However, while making his way around the firepit, he was cut off by Poppart, wielding a measly steak knife. "I will not allow you to escape! You and your companion with suffer for this treachery!"

"Sorry pal, but that's not gonna happen," Qrow said, extending _Harbinger's_ blade. "And besides, you're on my shit-list too."

With deadly fluidity, the swordsman disarmed the Mad King's steward and ran him through in a single motion. Blood spurted from his mouth as he tried to speak, but the wound was simply too severe. As the weapon was unsheathed from his chest, Flaxen Poppart pathetically slumped to the ground, lifeless.

When he reached the door, Qrow's progress was impeded by the fact that he didn't know how to open it. He frantically searched for a lever or handle, anything that would render the massive cherrywood slab ajar. He didn't have to look for very long, however, as the door shattered into thousands of tiny splinters when Summer was hurled through it at a blazing speed.

"Holy shit!" he exclaimed.

The silver-eyed huntress's aura flickered as she clambered to her feet, indicating that it was failing. "Will you quit staring and move your ass?!" she yelled. "Get to the fucking airship! I'll cover you."

"Right." Qrow resumed his flight, a now unconscious Marigold in tow.

Not ten seconds later, he heard the roars of the Mad King once again. "I'm gonna skin you little cunts alive, and eat your fucking arms for dinner!"

When the duo reached the camp square they were greeted by at least two hundred angry bandits, all awaiting their master's command. They were surrounded, a horde between them and the airship. Gently setting Marigold down, he and Summer readied their own weapons, prepared for the onslaught to come. Outnumbered a hundred to one, these were certainly the worst odds that they'd ever faced.

"I figure we could take about...fifty of 'em down with us. How 'bout you?" he gambled, his cheery nature mainly a means to keep himself calm.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you?"

His sarcastic reply was drowned out by Redwood's feral growls as he emerged from the longhouse. In his hands he clutched a menacing weapon, a huge axe sporting a searing hot brand on its head. "All of you, stay out of this," he ordered his underlings. "They're mine. Just keep them from escaping." With a flick of his wrist, a torrent of flame erupted from the instrument of death, prompting Qrow to involuntarily step back a bit.

"What the fuck is with this guy?" he asked.

Time seemed to have stopped as the rage-filled behemoth stood there, waiting. The calm before a bloody, terrifying storm. No-one dared to move for fear of triggering a full-on massacre. However, their concerns were very rapidly realized.

Redwood made the first move, slamming his axe down towards them. Before his arc could be completed the pair dove in opposite directions, narrowly avoiding the horrific blunt armament. Not losing any momentum, he then swung wildly to his right, missing Qrow's head by mere inches. The heat from the branding iron was so intense that his eyes began to water and the hair on his face singed slightly. While the pain was immense, he knew that if he stopped moving, there would be a few more Qrow Branwens in the world.

In an instant, the giant's attention shifted to the other hunter on the field. Summer employed the strategy of teleporting around him. Disappearing and rematerializing behind him, getting in whatever hits she could with _White Thorn_. This technique, along with many others, was one that she and Raven had perfected together during their time at Beacon. With his natural speed, the Mad King could keep track of her, although, she was slightly faster and was able to illude his attempts to rend her in twain.

"Qrow!" she yelled. "A lucky charm would be appreciated right about now."

It was time to enact the second phase of her plan. Qrow focused his aura to boost his semblance, increasing the potency of his innate bad luck. He doing this. Sure, it caused mishaps to befall his opponents more frequently. But it also put himself and, more importantly, Summer at greater risk.

The effects were felt immediately. Redwood put all of his might into a smashing attack, in an attempt to split the woman down the middle. Before the blow connected, she sidestepped, causing him to lose his balance, sending him toppling over. As he did though, Summer caught a negligent fireball to the chest. The impact caused her to go flying through the air, eventually coming to a sudden stop when she slammed into the hull of the airship with a loud *** _Thud*_**.

"Summer!" he exclaimed. "Dammit."

Although he would have preferred to have run over and aided his commander, Qrow decided to take the opportunity presented to him. Leaping onto the giant's back, he converted _Harbinger_ into scythe mode and hooked it around his neck. He then fired the weapon's shotgun barrels, launching them both back and upwards. The huge faunus reared back, howling with rage. His arms swung wildly through the air in vain, as Qrow was just out of reach. He continued this process until Redwood fell backward, giving the reaper just milliseconds to jump off and avoid being crushed under his brobdingnagian opponent.

The Mad King's breath was heavy and his movements were slow. Summer's death by a thousand cuts strategy and Qrow's air of misfortune were taking a toll on him. "You...You're not getting out of this camp alive," he mumbled as he clumsily pulled himself to his feet. "I'm gonna enjoy ripping you and your little girlfriend to shreds and feedin' you to the Grimm. I don't even feel any of these little hits you're dishing out."

The red-eyed hunter stood up, his knees weak, his heart pounding. Looking the devil himself right in the face, he asked, "Godammit, but you just don't shut the fuck up, do you?" With a smirk, Qrow brandished his dear weapon, trained the twin shotguns on the man's head, "Can you feel this?" and fired.

A flash of blood-red light signified that his aura had broken. And the bandit lord collapsed back to the ground, a pool of crimson syrup seeping into the mud around his head.

The crowd around him stood in silence, dumbstruck. Finally, the woman who had stopped them at the gate spoke up. "He killed Redwood!"

Qrow readied his weapon, preparing for the fight of his life, for the second time today. But no one even stepped up to him, they just stood there, watching him. Then, one by one, they dropped to their knees bowing to him in a twisted form of respect.

The gatekeeper cried out again. "All hail the new king!"

Then he realized, the bandits had a leadership similar to wolves or dogs. Since he killed the strongest among them, he was the strongest now. And that meant he was in charge.

However, at that moment, he didn't give a shit what they thought of him. He stumbled over to Summer, who was laying in a heap beside the ship, blood oozing from a gnarly gash on her temple. Sliding to a stop at her side, he took her up in his arms. "Summer, Summer! C'mon, wake up. Wake up, please."

She coughed and gasped as she awoke from her trauma-induced slumber. Squinting at first, her eyes took a second to adjust. "Qrow? What happened? Where's Redwood?"

Tears of relief welling in his eyes, Qrow laughed. "He's dead. And I couldn't have got him without you."

Pulling her close, he wrapped her in a purely platonic hug. A sense of pure euphoria washed over him as the adrenaline rush slowly dissipated. They had done it! They had killed Mad King Redwood, the most feared bandit chief in the world. His surroundings melted away as he savored the moment, so much so that he let his guard down and didn't notice the axe flying towards him.

Summer did, though. With what little aura she had left, she used her semblance to scatter and reappear directly behind Qrow.

If there was ever a moment in time that had ever truly stopped, this was it. Every detail of the situation made itself clear to him. The insanity in the expression of Redwood as he hurled the weapon. The blood that streamed down his face from the shattered horn atop his brow. Summer's pure determination and desire to protect him. Even the way the sunlight shone through the white rose petals around them. All these things were unimportant to him, however. As in his heart, he knew that she was about to die.

With a gut-wrenching ***squelch*** , the blade buried itself deep into the woman's back. Horrifying garnet-colored blood spewed from her mouth as well as the wound. Qrow watched in abject terror as the love of his life crumpled under the weight of her own mortality. A single tear fell from the cheek of the silver-eyed huntress, mother, and wife. But to his surprise, her face didn't show pain or fear, but love.

"Qrow...I...," she whispered. "Take...care of...Ruby...for me."

* * *

Two seconds. It took two seconds for Qrow to watch the life fade from Summer's eyes. Two seconds to feel her skin grow cold. Two seconds to hear the demonic laughter emanating from her murderer.

Red. His vision went red, he tasted copper and felt a desperate, primal need to coat himself in Redwood's blood.

The howling monster stomped over until he was directly above the broken man. Leaning down, he grabbed him by the neck. Not enough to choke him, but just enough to make it painful. "What'd I fucking say?" he said softly, hefting him up and turning him to show the rest of the camp."You're not leaving this place alive!"

Unbeknownst to the faunus, Qrow had grabbed _Harbinger_ on his way up. Lifting it up weakly, he responded, "No...But at least I can take a few of you motherfuckers with me."

"What?"

 ** _*Click*_**

In an instant, the entire world seemed to have been engulfed in flames. Qrow's last-ditch effort to kill the son of a bitch was a blind-fire shot at the airship's fuel tank. Looking around, he could see bandits writhing in agony as the heat and radiation poured over them.

Despite their obvious screams, he didn't hear anything. Perhaps the explosion had rendered him deaf, or maybe he was already dead, and he was simply viewing the scene from the afterlife.

Whatever the case, he didn't care. Let it all burn away. Himself, Redwood, Marigold, who Summer had given her life to rescue. All of it. He was done.

Eventually, the darkness came for him. His eyes fused shut as he let the void take him. He was ready to go.

* * *

 _"Is this hell?"_ Qrow thought to himself as he opened his eyes.

Scattered all around him were the charred remains of two hundred people. Corpses who's last actions were feeble attempts to shield themselves from a Dust-augmented blaze. The air stunk of ash and melting flesh. The sky was tinted with a shade of red that could only be the result of some great slaughter. He shot up when it finally dawned on him.

 _"I'm still alive!"_

After all of that, the suffering that the world had put him through, he was still fucking alive. It seemed to be that he really was cursed with the worst luck imaginable. He had been ready to die, and the universe couldn't even give him _that_. The sheer size of Redwood's body had shielded him from most of the blast

Rage, despair, and misery forced him to let loose a cry of pain and anguish. His howls were akin to that of a Beowolf.

He laid there, weeping amidst the bodies and ashes of his fallen enemies, for hours. The sky eventually lost its bloody hue, and night fell. It grew colder, but he didn't move. He simply starred up to the heavens, wallowing in his grief. If a passerby had come across him, they would have mistaken him for a dead man. He barely breathed. His clothing was torn and scorched. Parts of his skin had melted black as the result of third-degree burns.

Qrow never had been the religious type. Even with all of Ozpin's _Twin Brother Gods"_ bullshit. He never saw the point in any of it. Why would any higher power care about the praise of one tiny, insignificant mortal? Either way, now he began to believe. If there truly was a god, then he or she wanted him to stay alive and suffer for some sin he'd committed in the past. Or, maybe they were bored and decided to pick on him for fun. Whatever the case may have been, it was working.

"No," he said aloud.

He wasn't going to let this pain go on. He took _Harbinger_ , which was surprisingly unscathed by the carnage, except for a few bloodstains, and place the twin shotgun barrels under his own chin.

"Summer," he sniffed. "I'm on my way."

But he couldn't do it. It wasn't that he was afraid, he wanted to die more than anything. Summer's memory had stopped his finger from pulling the trigger. In particular, her final words to him.

 _"Take care of Ruby for me."_

 _Ruby_.

Summer's pride and joy. The one person she loved the most among the people that she loved.

The thought of that sweet little girl growing up without her mother drove him to tears. But this time, they weren't tears of rage, but sadness.

With all of his remaining strength, Qrow forced himself to his feet. The physical pain this action caused him was immeasurable. Even still, he powered through it, for Ruby.

When he finally stood up, he made a vow; on the blood that he spilled that day, and on Summer Rose's body. From then on, every single thing he did would be to protect Ruby. He would avenge her mother's death by keeping her alive, even if it killed him.

* * *

And so, with a new fire in his heart and a new purpose in life, Qrow began the long, painful walk back to civilization. The entire journey took two and a half weeks, as a result of his injuries. Along the way, he managed to avoid too many encounters with the creatures of Grimm. A few times, he happened across a friendly traveler or two and they would give him some water or food out of the goodness of their hearts.

One such person had a bottle of whiskey that she allowed him to fill his flask from. He didn't like the idea of getting drunk on the road, but the alcohol helped dull the pain and was a useful means to clean his wounds.

"You sure you don't need any help?" she asked. "You look pretty well fucked up."

His answer was the same for everyone. "I'm fine. Thanks for the booze."

After walking for ages, the City of Vale came into view. However, he did not stop. He simply kept on walking until he reached the ferry to Patch. Using the lien that people had forced him to take, he booked passage to the island. If he hadn't been able to do that, he had already made up his mind that he would have swum.

Nobody on the boat attempted to speak to the red-eyed huntsman. Most just gave him a wide berth. Those few who came near him refused to even make eye contact.

Finally, Qrow reached the home of Taiyang Xiao Long. Taking a deep, shaky breath, he steeled himself for the bomb of emotion he knew was about to go off. He slammed his fist against the door three times and waited.

A minute later, it opened to reveal Tai, holding a very drowsy Ruby, who in turn was clutching a small, pink teddy bear.

"Qrow! You're back!" he said excitedly. "I was getting worried about you two. Out there in the wild with no way to call me...was starting to think you weren't coming back."

Qrow responded with silence, his gazed drifting towards the floor.

"Where's Summer? How come she's not with you?"

"Tai...Summer is...I mean, she's not..."

The blond man's eyes widened. He began hyperventilating.

"She's not coming, Tai."

"No...No, that's not true. Nononononono...You're a fucking _liar!_ "

Tai dropped to the ground like a stone, squeezing Ruby tightly to him. The toddler began crying along with him. She didn't know what was going on, she just wanted her mommy back.

The final emotional gut-punch came in the form of Yang, clumsily making her way down the stairs to the doorway. In her hands, she held a wilting, white rose.

"Uncle Qrow, why is my Daddy crying? And where's Mommy?" she whimpered. "I got her this flower but she's not here. Where is she?"

Despite the overwhelming urge, he held back the storm of tears welling in his eyes. He knew that if he spoke, that dam would break and he would join the rest of them. He needed to stay strong. Someone had to.

"Where is Mommy, Uncle Qrow? Uncle Qrow?"

* * *

"Uncle Qrow?"

He jumped as he awoke from his drunken nightmare, knocking his still-full glass off the table. It fell to the hardwood floor of the bar, shattering. He looked up to see the face of Yang, now a full nineteen years old. He was back in Mistral. Back in nowadays. In his hand, he still held the worn photograph of Team STRQ.

"Yang?" he groaned, fighting a splitting headache. "What are you doing here? What time is it?"

She expanded her cheeks and let out a puff of air. "It's four in the morning. Me and Ruby have been out looking for you all night."

The old huntsman rubbed his face in his hands, letting loose a wide yawn. "And you didn't think to look for me here," he gestured to the empty tavern around him.

She clearly did not find his sarcasm very funny. "Hey, screw you. There're a lot of bars in this damn city," the buxom blonde said angrily, punching him in the arm. "Ruby's worried sick about you. So was I, even Ozpin said he was _'concerned.'_ "

"Okay, I'm sorry I made you all worry," he apologized. "Now could you please stop yelling. My head is killing me."

She sighed heavily. "Alright. Come on. Let's get you back to the house."

Yang had inherited her father's strength, and as such, was able to lift him out of his chair with ease. Leaning on her shoulder for support, Qrow stumbled his way out of the bar. When the pair reached the open street, a rush of cool air hit him like a wall. He staggered, feeling something incredibly unpleasant forcing its way up his body.

While vomiting is never fun, it does bring with it a kind of relief. The fact that whatever was in you that caused problems is now out. The hungover man had this sense wash over him. When he was finished, he gazed up at his niece, tears in his eyes.

"Yang, I am so sorry," he sobbed.

The girl gave herself a quick once-over and shrugged. "You're fine. You didn't get any on me."

"No...I'm sorry for what I did. All those years ago."

She got slightly suspicious when he said that. "What did you do?" she questioned, furrowing her brow.

He pulled himself up, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and looked her in the face. Not as an uncle, but as an adult.

"Let's get back to the house first," he suggested. "This is something you _and_ Ruby both need to hear."

With that, the two of them began walking through the darkened streets of the City of Mistral, back towards their rental house. All the way, Qrow was preparing to reveal the _whole_ truth to his family.

* * *

 **A/N: Well...that was grim. I'ma be honest, I made myself a little uncomfortable with this one (Maybe the fact that I was listening to _Disturbed_ 's ****album** ** _The Sickness_ on repeat while I worked had something to do with it. Hmm...). **

**I promise that none of the future chapters will be _this_ dark. However, I can say that things in the present day will be kicking off soon.**

 **This was my first ever fight scene. Please feel free to tell me how I did. Honestly, I feel like it was shit, but then again I'm extremely self-deprecating so...yeah.**

 **Anyone that can guess the Grimm's Fairytale that Redwood, Flaxen Poppart, and Marigold Stiltz allude to gets a cookie. Also, if you didn't already see it, Redwood's title and obvious cow theme are blatant references to "Mad King" Ryan Haywood from Achievement Hunter. What can I say? I'm a fan.**

 **And yes, I named Qrow's penis as a reference to "The Anchorman"**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed. Leave a review if you have any thoughts. I love getting feedback from you guys.**

 **Ciao for now.**

 **UPDATE: I decided to change Redwood's "You little bitch" line to "Yyyooouuu!" as a funnier reference to Ryan Haywood.**


	4. Wounds, Old and Festering

**A/N: Sorry for being so late. Two words: KIDNEY MOTHERFUCKING STONES!**

* * *

While the Xiao Long family knew that Summer had died whilst on a mission with Qrow, he'd never divulged the details of her fate. Mostly because none of them had ever really asked. After the news reached him, Taiyang completely shut down. He wouldn't talk to anyone, his house and health deteriorated, and Qrow was left to care for the girls. This arrangement did not last long, however, as his semblance made it incredibly dangerous to be around them. Eventually, though, Tai came out of his trance and was able to resume his paternal duties. Yang had inquired a couple of times, but she was simply too young at the time to understand anything that was said to her. Ruby was the worst to watch over the years, however. A little girl growing up with next to no knowledge of her own mother.

Every time he saw her, Qrow's heart ached. And rightfully so. In his mind, he was the reason she'd gotten killed. If it hadn't been for his taking the job to rescue Marigold Stiltz, his stupid fucking semblance, and his own incompetence in letting his guard down, Summer would still be here to raise her kids. For a while, Tai had felt the same and blamed him for the loss of his wife. But he came to the realization that she would have kept taking missions and one would have eventually led to her death. It was for this reason that the reaper was allowed to remain a part of the family and even train Ruby to become a huntress.

Qrow never forgot his vow to protect Ruby with his life. He took a job teaching at Signal Academy in order to remain close by. All throughout her education, he kept a close eye on her. He watched as she excelled in both his combat and weapons manufacturing classes. What she lacked in book smarts, the silver-eyed prodigy more than made up for in her skills as a scythe-wielder. She wasn't a master by any means, but he freely admitted that she was as good, if not better than he was at her age. And when she was accepted early into Beacon by Ozpin himself, he knew that she was in good hands and was able to go on a few more long-term mission for the old wizard.

After letting her and Yang grow up completely ignorant of the circumstances surrounding their mother's passing, now he was finally about to reveal the _whole_ truth. There would be tears. Of that he was certain. Tears, angry questions, and harsh words from both of the girls were inevitable.

At the moment, however, he wasn't worried about that. He was more concerned about staying on his feet and not vomiting as a none too pleased Yang helped him limp home.

Halfway there, she pulled out her scroll and called Ruby. "Hey, it's me," she said. "I found him...Yeah, of course, he's drunk...No, I've got it covered. Just get back to the house as soon as you can; he has something important to tell us." She hung up and stashed the device in her coat pocket. Looking down at her inebriated uncle, she gave an annoyed sigh. "She's meeting us at the house. What you've got to say better be serious, 'cause I've been awake for the past twenty-eight hours and I'm fucking tired."

"Oh, it's serious, Firecracker," he slurred. "It might just be the most important thing I've ever told you two."

The pair trudged on through the muddy streets of Mistral in silence until the reached their rental home. As soon as they stepped through the door, they saw that all of Teams RWBY and JNPR along with Oscar were sat quietly in the den. Everyone's faces were expectant and solemn like they were all waiting for some bad news. When Qrow simply stumbled by and began making his way up the stairs, they were all visibly confused.

"Didn't you have something you needed to tell us?" Weiss questioned.

"Not you, Snowflake. Just Ruby and Yang."

Ruby looked at her teammates puzzledly, shrugged, and got up to follow. However, she was stopped by her sister at the base of the stairs.

When she was relatively sure that Qrow was out of earshot, she whispered, "I don't know what's gotten into him. I've never seen him act like this."

"Like how?" she asked. "He just looked like plain old drunk Uncle Qrow to me."

Yang shook her head. "No. When I found him he was depressed. He even cried when I got him out of the bar."

A flash of disbelief came across Ruby's face. She'd never seen Qrow cry once. What would make it happen now?

" _Tears_ Ruby. Actual fucking tears. And then he apologized for something he did 'all those years ago.'"

"What did he mean by that?"

The brawler glanced up in the direction of his room with a look of distrust in her eye. "I don't know, but whatever it means, it's bad enough that Qrow Branwen cried at my feet and begged me to forgive him."

They pondered for a moment. Qrow was a rock. A man seemingly without emotion, at least when it came to regrets and sadness. Yang wondered if it was something to do with her mother, Raven, siding with Salem's cronies. He had taken her betrayal pretty hard. She was a cold-hearted bitch, but she was still his twin sister.

"Well, we're not gonna find out just sitting here. C'mon," Ruby said with determination.

She resumed her hike up the stairs, split between feelings of eagerness and fear of the conversation to come.

* * *

The sisters entered the dimly lit room to find Qrow leaning against the windowsill, massaging his temples in an attempt to alleviate his splitting headache. He gestured for them to sit.

"You're gonna want to get comfortable," he groaned. "We might be here a while."

Ruby, despite the somberness of the atmosphere, hopped cheerily onto the bed. Yang kept her eyes trained on him while she sat down at the desk, her gaze filled with suspicion.

When they were both settled, Qrow reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out his flask. The once fine brown leather was now worn and rough, and the engraving of his emblem was eroded. Contrary to the girls' expectations, he did not take a drink from it. Instead, he simply tossed it to Yang. She caught it with an inquiring look, but he ignored it.

"Alright, now that we're all settled in and free from distractions," he paused for a brief moment and took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "How much do you remember about your mom?"

The question left them bemused as they looked at each other, shaking their head in confusion.

"Not a lot," Yang answered. "Just what you and Dad have told me. And what I saw recently."

He shook his head. "No. Raven is your mother. Summer was your mom. There's a difference.

"How much do you remember about Summer?"

A hush fell on the room. Summer was a very sensitive subject. The mere mention of her name was known to incite tears in extreme cases. At least it was for Yang and Tai. For Ruby, it brought back memories of a childhood spent without a mother. She had been too young to remember anything of substance about the woman.

"What does this have to do with what you wanted to tell us?" the younger girl asked.

He was quiet for a second. His face wore an expression of deep thought. What was the right thing to say?

"Everything, kiddo," he said finally. "What I mean when I ask what you remember is do either of you recall her death?"

"No. Me and Ruby were both too young to understand and Dad would never let us talk about it," Yang explained somberly. "All I know is that she went on a mission and never came back."

That was about as much as Tai knew as well. Mostly out of selfishness, Qrow had given the grieving man as little information as possible regarding Summer's final moments. He wasn't sure how Tai would react if he'd been privy to her last words. The words that still haunted Qrow to this day.

"That's half of the truth," he said. "What you don't know is that that last mission was with me. And I was with her when she died."

He then recounted the details of what the mission had been and the conversation he'd had with Tai and Summer when he came to visit. The girls just sat and listened intently. The way he spoke, nothing seemed too out of the ordinary. It just sounded like Qrow had come and asked his teammates for help.

"Okay, hold on a second. Let me get this straight," Ruby interjected. "You and Mom went off by yourselves to try and take down this Redwood guy? That seems like the kind of thing you'd want help for."

"Well, I didn't really have time to get the whole Atlas Military to come and join me. I honestly didn't want either of them coming with me. But one thing about Summer was that she never took no for an answer if it meant helping someone in trouble."

Yang smiled slightly. "Yeah, I remember her storming out once every week or so for some job," She reminisced. "Dad would always say she was going to be somebody's superhero."

Qrow chuckled. "That she was, Firecracker. That she was."

He briefly summarized the trip from Patch to the Emerald Forest. He skipped over things like their idle chit-chat while walking through the city or his loathing for crooked cops.

It was a tough decision whether or not to reveal his and Summer's past love for each other. If he wanted his relationship with his family to stay the same, he would have kept it hidden away. But he had made up his mind, he was going to tell them _everything_.

"Wait, wait, wait. You're telling us that you and Summer were _together_ together?" Yang demanded. "And no one ever thought to clue us in on that?"

"It was never important," he told her. "And besides, it was kind of private and hard to think about. After Raven ran off, I went into a downward spiral. I pushed everyone away. So much so that we decided to split up. Things just weren't working out.

"After that, she and Tai got together and, before you know it, Ruby pops out. And it's not like I just up and left, either. I tried to be a good uncle. Sure, it was a little awkward at first, but eventually, we went back to being close friends."

"What was she like back then?" Ruby asked softly. In the dim light, it was difficult to make out, but Qrow was able to see the smallest tear welling in her big silver eyes.

"Hmm...Your mom was...Well, she was like everything you've ever heard she was," he said. "Kind and loving, gentle and happy. But she also had a fierce huntress in her heart. And that side was damn scary. She could feed you the best cookies in the world and then put a knife to your throat before you'd know what was happening."

"Is that how she acted on missions?"

"Well, yes and no," he elucidated. "When we were young, fresh out of Beacon, I mean, she was kinda the team mom. If one of us was in a funk, she'd say whatever we needed to hear to get us back into top shape. That's where she and Raven were different. Raven broke bad news the way you would rip off a bandaid, no matter how much it hurt."

Yang crossed her arms and scowled. "Yeah, I heard a bunch of shit like that at her camp."

"I can only imagine. We may be twins, but my sister and I are nothing alike. What she lacks in subtlety she makes up for in lack of sympathy. If either of you ever meets her again, however unlikely that may be, don't underestimate her. She'll kill you without a second thought."

All of the storytelling had thoroughly dried out his throat. Although, when he thought about it, it might have also stemmed from the excessive night of drinking he'd participated in earlier. Reaching for his flask, he was momentarily surprised to find it wasn't there. But then he recalled that he'd given it to Yang for just this reason. He wanted to keep his mind sharp and his memory clear.

"Anyway, we're getting off track. Where was I?"

"You and my mom were awkwardly making your way to the Emerald Forest?" Ruby suggested.

"Right, that. So we finally got into the forest. We made camp in a cave not too far from the bandit stronghold..."

* * *

"You WHAT?!" Yang shouted angrily upon learning of the forbidden kiss that Qrow and Summer had shared. "I thought you said you two broke up. Now you tell us that you made out in the woods?"

 _"Well, she certainly has Raven's temper,"_ he thought. "I never said that. What I said was that we kissed _once_. Singular. One little lapse in judgment that happened over a decade and a half ago. And if you had let me finish, I would have told you that we both regretted it instantly."

The fiery blonde wasn't satisfied. Her eyes began to glow crimson. "Then how come you never told any of us about it before? How can I be so sure that it was only one kiss, and that you didn't go all the way?"

He stood up sharply, storming over to her seat at the desk. She rose and met him halfway. The two's noses were almost touching. "Now you listen here," he hissed, jabbing his finger in her direction. "I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a cheater. I love Tai like a brother. And I would never betray him like that. I lost my chance with Summer when I let her go. And yeah, maybe I did still have feelings for her. But I would nev-."

"Hey!" Ruby interrupted. "Can we please not fight? Yang, he's right. It was fifteen years ago. But it was a mistake, no doubt about it."

"You can't be saying that you're okay with this," she shot back.

"I'm not. Honestly, it grosses me the heck out. My uncle kissing my mom... _y_ _ech,"_ Ruby shuddered. "But I feel like we should let him finish his story before making any kind of judgments."

The girl was speaking pretty sensibly. Hear wisdom in her suggestion, Yang backed off. However, she maintained a hostile glare at Qrow.

The huntsman's face showed a great amount of remorse for his harsh words towards niece. It dawned on him that she and Ruby were the only real family he had left in the world. He had better be careful going forward, particularly regarding this story. If he lost them now, Qrow would be truly alone.

"Yang, I..I'm sorry," he stammered, his eyes locked solidly with the floor. "It's just that this is pretty hard to talk about. Summer was more important to me than you can imagine. And to think about her like this hurts like hell."

Her steely gaze softened a bit. And she unclenched her fists. Taking a deep, shaky breath, she looked him in the eyes. "I'm sorry too. I might not like what you're telling us," she admitted. "But Ruby's right. I should at least let you finish."

Qrow nodded. He went to take his place leaning against the windowsill once again, only for it to snap under his weight. The sudden loss of support caused him to lose his balance and nearly fall on his ass. When he regained his footing, Qrow glanced up to the ceiling.

"Oh, so now _you're_ pissed too, huh, Summer? Dammit, but you women always stick together."

The dramatic rhetorical question managed to lighten the tension in the room a bit, eliciting small chuckles from both girls.

"Even from beyond the grave, she still finds ways to drive me insane," he sighed. "That's Summer Rose for ya. There were times when it seemed like she was the only one able to withstand my semblance. The bad luck that followed me everywhere just went away whenever she was around. Used to confuse the shit out of me. But one day I figured that it had to be the constant aura of peace and comfort that she had."

Having settled down after her previous outburst, Yang spoke up. "Sounds like you really loved her."

"Yeah, I do," he said, wiping a tear from his eye. "But as I said, we just weren't meant for each other."

A few seconds passed as the words sank in.

"But that didn't mean I couldn't be the bad influence uncle for you two.

"Now, barring any more tangents, do I have permission to continue with this gut-wrenching memory?"

* * *

Qrow left no detail out of his retelling of their time at Redwood's camp. Every horrifying visual he'd witnessed was relayed with excruciating accuracy. Mostly out of his own desire to relieve himself of the burden. But some small part of him was attempting to prepare the girls for the horrors of life as hunters. Despite all of the stories, it wasn't all damsels in distress and romantic rescues.

Ruby reacted the most viscerally of the two. Her skin paled and her eyes began watering with sympathy for the victims and fear of the villainous bandit lord. Although she hid it well, Yang had the same emotions rushing through her mind. Qrow could tell when he noticed the splinteringly tight grip she had on the desk's edge.

"How could anyone be so evil that they could do things like _that_ , and be okay with it?" Ruby whimpered. The poor girl, despite all of the evil people she's come into contact with, still always saw the best in people. That Redwood could have been so depraved and dead inside that he was able to sleep at night after the horrors he inflicted on his victims, it baffled her.

"As much as I hate to say it, kiddo; there are more people like that in the world than you may think," he said. "Some are just better at hiding than others."

Not wanting to stop and debate the dark side of humanity, he swiftly moved on the most painful and grizzly chapter of the tale, the battle and Summer's demise. It took him hours to explain the encounter with Marigold Stiltz, and her demand that they assist in her suicide. Sunlight had already begun peaking over the horizon when he reached the end of his and Summer's fight with the Mad King.

"Summer was one of the best fighters I've ever met, And that fucking animal tossed her around like a ragdoll. Our auras didn't do shit against him. We were both on our last leg when I took that shot and blew his head wide open."

Ruby was on the edge of her seat, literally and metaphorically. Her eyes were wide with anticipation as she awaited the story's climax with bated breath. "You killed him?" she asked with a mix of excitement and disgust. She'd never heard any stories of Team STRQ killing people, and the idea was all new to her.

"No. I thought I had," Qrow explained. "Turns out, the blast had destroyed one of his horns and knocked him unconscious. So when I went to see if your mom was okay, he was able to get the drop on me.

"While my back was turned, he stood up and flung his brand-flamethrower-thing at me. Summer, always worrying about someone else, used her last bit of aura to take the hit for me."

Unlike before, there were no tears shed on Qrow's part. The only emotion that could be divined from his expression was pure, seething rage. He slammed his fist against the wall, hard enough to rattle the whole room.

"Dammit, she died for _me!_ " he yelled through clenched teeth. "If I hadn't fucking missed, she would still be alive! She would still be alive, and I wouldn't those fucking words screaming at me in my head all the time."

Not yet to the point of crying, but getting closer every second, Ruby shared a concerned look with Yang and asked, "Wait, what words? What did she say?"

The man's grunts of anger devolved into sobs as he collapsed to his knees. Clutching his face in his hands, he mumbled unintelligibly.

"What?" Yang questioned.

He raised his head, taking time to look them both in the eyes, individually. "Take care of Ruby for me," he said. "You were the last thing she thought about, kiddo. You were the most important person in her entire life."

Yang got more a little confused and upset at that. Standing up sharply, she demanded. "Is that why you were always closer with Ruby? Because our mom told you to take care of her?"

He nodded slowly. "That's part of it, yeah."

"Well then, what's the other part?"

He clumsily stood up and walked over to the window once more. He gazed out of the city streets as dawn broke. Taking a deep breath, he turned to face them. "I was always closer to Ruby, trained her, spent as much time as I could with her because..." he stared into the young girl's silver eyes. "Because I'm her father."

* * *

 **A/N: Bum Bum _Buuuuuummmm_ _!_ Cliffhanger.**

 **In all seriousness though, I know that the community is _very_ divided about this theory. If you can even call it that. Is it still a theory if the creators of the show have confirmed it as false? Anyway, if I lose your interest with that reveal, then I hope you at least enjoyed the story up to this point.**

 **Tell me what you thought. Your feedback is always helpful.**


	5. The Cat's in the Cradle

A deafening silence filled the air. The whole world felt as if it had stopped. Qrow's words rang throughout the room, seemingly echoing off the walls. All three of them looked at each other with expressions of shock and confusion.

"I'm your father, Ruby," he repeated as if to try and reaffirm it to himself as well.

"But-but how? What?" Ruby stammered.

What the fuck was he doing? No one in their right mind would believe that a seventeen-year-old girl could handle this kind of mental bomb being dropped on her. So, why in the world was he telling her this?

"I don't even know where to begin," Qrow muttered.

"How about you start telling the _whole_ truth for once?" Yang demanded, her eyes glowing with crimson fury. "All you've told us so far is nothing but bits and pieces of the story."

He nodded. Even though he'd promised to tell them _everything_ , he was subconsciously holding some information back.

"I'm trying. It's just...This is hard on me too. I haven't talked about this stuff to anyone in years."

"Please," Qrow looked up to Ruby, who was straining to hold back tears. "Please just tell us the truth, Qrow. Explain to me how I'm your daughter."

He sighed and closed his eyes. Why was this so hard? He'd wanted to share this with her since the day she was born, and now, here was his chance.

"Alright. Well, I told that your mom and I split up not long after Yang turned a year old. She got together with Tai pretty soon after that. What I didn't tell you was that she was also pregnant at the time. At first, I thought that you were Tai's kid, but they said they'd never even slept in the same bed before Summer found out. We did the math and turns out you were mine."

"Why didn't you come back and be Ruby's dad? Was it just too much of a drain on your 'wild and free' lifestyle?" Yang chided.

Qrow shook his head. "I did. As soon as I heard the news, I moved in with them. I was there through the whole pregnancy and Ruby's birth, and I was even there to help take care of her for a few months after as well."

Ruby adjusted herself on the bed to better face him. "What made you leave? Why didn't stay with mom?"

"Yeah. And why did you lie to us and say we're sisters?" Yang said. She wasn't calming down, and if she got any angrier, Qrow was worried that things might get violent.

"The answers to all of your questions are the same," he explained. "My semblance. You know that it makes me a walking 'bad luck charm.' That I carry misfortune with me and to everyone I come into contact with. Try to imagine what that kind of danger that would cause for a newborn baby. It almost got you killed in our fight with that Tyrian bastard, and you're grown and able to defend yourself."

Ruby thought back to all of the little unfortunate things that happened that fateful day. A foothold slipping loose. An unforeseen ricochet. All the things that she'd chalked up as bad luck now pointed back to Qrow's presence.

He stared into Ruby's mirrored eyes, solemnly trying to convince her that he had made the right call in leaving her.

"Have you ever wondered how you got that scar on your neck?" he asked.

The girl reached back, feeling for the long, smooth mark at the base of her skull.

"Yeah, that one. That was _my_ fault. Yor were about a month old and I was putting you to sleep. We had set up a crib in the living room, so we could keep an eye on you. The second I set you down, the chandelier above us fell from the ceiling. It shattered, sending glass shards everywhere. One of which just so happened to slice the back of your head wide open.

"I couldn't live with myself if anything else happened to you. So, I left. Left you, your mom, and the right to call myself your dad."

Ruby crawled down and sat on the floor directly in front of him. She was on the verge of crying, and it broke his heart. Qrow believed with every fiber of his being that he was a shitty dad for leaving Ruby and Summer. But he also knew that it was the mark of a good father to place his family's needs before his own wants.

"But...Why couldn't you tell me that I'm your daughter? Why lie about it?" she begged.

"Summer and I talked about it for days," he said. "And we eventually decided that it would be better for you to have a stepdad that was there for you every day, than a real father who was never around."

Memories of Ruby's childhood flooded back to him in droves. Summer's funeral, teaching her to ride her first bike, the hilariously awkward conversation he and Tai had shared after Tai gave her "the talk." They all brought with them a tidal wave of emotions. Qrow didn't know whether he was going to laugh, cry, or scream out in frustration at all of the pain he was causing her right now.

"As a way for me to still be in your lives, I took on the role of your uncle. So I still got to help raise you, just not in the way I would've preferred."

Yang, with venom in her voice, asked, "Were you ever going to tell either of us? Or were you both just content to keep on lying until you died?"

He glanced at the blonde brawler. She was emanating that same aura of distrust, rage, and betrayal that Tai had upon learning about Summer's death. It dawned on him that, no matter what he said in response, she was never going to trust him again. I didn't matter if they were family or not.

Qrow shook his head. "No."

She exploded, firing a shotgun blast from her prosthetic into the floor beside him. The shot barely missed his right hand, and somehow he knew she wasn't trying to simply scare him.

" _You_ _fucking bastard!_ " she screamed. "First you kill our mom, then you don't have the decency to tell us what really happened. And if that wasn't bad enough, now you tell me that the girl I was told was my sister my whole fucking life actually isn't my sister!"

"Yang, you don't-" he started, only to be cut off by another gunshot, this time it narrowly missed his head. If the other members of their group weren't already awake, they sure as shit were now. However, if they were, no one apparently had the guts to knock on the door and ask what was going on.

"No. You don't get to just sweep this under the rug a second time."

She screamed and cursed at him for several more minutes. All the while he was struggling to come up with some way to get her back under control. She was gradually making her way closer and closer to him, slowly backing him into a corner. Qrow knew that she was going to try and attack soon, and he didn't know how he could and defend himself without hurting her. She was going to come at him with all of her rage and an intent to kill.

After losing her arm at the Fall of Beacon, something in Yang's mind had broken. She no longer had the sense of empathy and self-control that she once possessed. As such, she was prone to attack anyone if they made angry enough, whether they were friend or foe.

"Yang, listen to me," he pleaded. "Please just calm down and let me explain."

She raised her fist, preparing to deliver a brutal strike to his face. "No. I've heard enough. I'm not gonna listen to any more of your bullshit excuses."

He wasn't going to be able to talk her down from this. So Qrow resigned himself to simply let her get a hit in on him. Maybe it would help, although he seriously doubted it. He put up his aura and steeled himself for the oncoming blow.

At the last second, he glanced over at Ruby, who was no longer sitting dazed on the floor, but standing in the doorway. She locked eyes with him briefly, her expression entirely unreadable. Qrow watched in horror as she was suddenly gone in a flash of red rose petals.

"Ruby, wait!" he called after her. Fearing where his daughter was going, he deflected Yang's deadly punch and slipped away from her.

He ran clumsily down the stairs, cursing his bender the night before. When he reached the living room, he found that everyone except for Oscar had retired to their respective rooms. Seeing that the front door was ajar he dashed over to it. More flower petals floated lazily in the air, indicative of Ruby's departure from the house.

" _RUBY!_ " he cried out into the dawn-lit streets of Mistral.

Before he could take a single step out of the door, Qrow felt a small yet strong hand grab his wrist. Looking back, he found Oscar glaring up at him with an eerie sort of knowledge in his green eyes.

"Don't," he was speaking with Ozpin's voice. "Let her go. She just needs time to process what you've told her."

Qrow wrenched his arm free from the wizard's grip. "Oz, she's gonna go off and get herself hurt or worse. I need to go get her."

"Qrow, you are a fine huntsman, but your daughter can take care of herself. At least for a little while."

"So what am I supposed to do? Huh?"

The man in child's clothing sighed. "As I said, give her some time to herself. Ruby is strong, but even she can't simply adjust to something like this instantly."

Qrow looked out into the empty streets, then back into the house. At the base of the stairs, he could see Yang, still fuming, but waiting to see what Ozpin was getting at.

"Whatever you need to say to her to smooth things over can wait a while."

"Oh, he's not smoothing _this_ over," Yang growled.

"Do not presume that you are entirely blameless in this matter either, Miss Xiao Long," Ozpin stated matter-of-factly. "While I am sure that the unveiling of this secret was very hard on your sister, your over the top reaction certainly did not help the situation."

She started his way, her fists clenched and her gaze murderous. "What gives you the right to-"

" _Yang!_ " he interrupted. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to shout. Yang, please try to calm down. Qrow may have been wrong to hide something of this import from you and Ruby But this hostility will not solve anything."

Yang opened her mouth to try and say something that was, no doubt, meant to be offensive in some way, but was once again cut off.

"Now, if you wish to discuss this like an adult instead of throwing an aura-amplified temper tantrum, I'm sure that Qrow wouldn't mind sitting down and talking things out over a cup of tea. Would you, Qrow?"

Still contemplating going after Ruby, Qrow took a moment to think it over. Finally, he shut the door. "Fine. But as soon as we're done here, I'm gonna go find Ruby."

Ozpin gestured for them both to sit, then started towards the stairs.

"Hey wait a minute. Where're you going?" Qrow asked.

"I feel that this is a matter that concerns _all_ of Team RWBY. I'll be right back."

Yang and Qrow sat in silence for a minute as they awaited their arrival. At one point, Qrow had tried to apologize again, only to be cut and shut down.

 _"How did I fuck things up so fast?"_ he thought. _"How did I turn Yang from a happy ray of sunshine into this ball of hatred?"_

His self-pity was halted when Ozpin returned with Weiss and Blake in tow. The pale-skinned heiress was wringing her hand and cautiously approached the couch. She had circles around her eyes, indicating her lack of sleep. Blake, on the other hand, looked as calm and collected as ever. The only thing that showed her to be on edge was the fact that she had her weapon, _Gambol Shroud_ , with her.

 _"Smart cat. She's expecting things to go south."_

"Well, now that we're all here," Ozpin said after taking his own seat. "Let's begin. Miss Belladonna, Miss Schnee, I have brought you both here as members of Team RWBY. And because you are the closest friends that Yang and Ruby have. As such, I believe you deserve to know what is going on with them."

They looked at each other with confused expressions.

"Okaaay, so what's going on?" Blake asked.

"Qrow, as the center of all of this drama, I feel it would be best if you were the one to explain."

Qrow sighed. He had really wanted to keep these kids out of his family matters, but there was no going back now. Taking a deep breath, he began to present the girls an abridged version of the past night's events.

* * *

 **A/N: Bit of a shorter chapter this time.**

 **First off, I want to address the difference in Yang's personality between this story and the show. I felt it was better to have her be less zen and collected and more apt to fly off the hinges at a moments notice. I don't know about you, but I like my dragons to have a little more fire in their bellies.**

 **Secondly, if you're wondering how Ozpin knew Qrow's secret, he's one of the oldest beings in existence. It's safe to assume that he'd be able to pick up on the fact that Ruby is _not_ Taiyang's kid.**


	6. Oh, What a Twisted Web We Weave

**A/N: Sorry about the shortness of this chapter. As the date of my wedding creeps closer, I find that I have less and less time to sit down and write. Anyway, here ya go.**

* * *

Ruby raced through the streets of Mistral as fast as her legs would carry her. With the aid of her semblance, she appeared to be nothing more than a storm of rose petals blazing by. Tears streamed across her cheeks and flew off her face.

She didn't know where she was going. She didn't know why she was running. Heck, she didn't even know why she was crying. All of the things Qrow had said to her and Yang about Summer's demise had hurt, sure. But she had expected something along those lines to have been the case for many years. After all, she had been a Huntress, risking one's life and even dying for a job was an occupational hazard. Ruby had come to terms with the fact that Qrow was there relatively easily. She did not blame him for her death like Yang had, however. More rather, she pitied him for blaming himself.

The reveal of her mother and Qrow's romantic history weirded her out a fair bit, but it wasn't enough to justify getting upset about. If they really loved each other, so what if Summer and her uncle had dated for a few years?

Except, he wasn't her uncle. The words repeated themselves over and over again in her mind. _'I'm your father, Ruby.'_ Qrow had said it so apologetically like he was ashamed of the fact. No, not so much ashamed, as worried. Worried that he was shattering the very foundations of her entire existence. Which he had. Every memory that Ruby had of him, her father, even her sister was warping and changing into something incredibly ugly.

All those times when she would cry out for her Tai late at night, for him to come and make everything alright. Now they became visions of a man with whom she shared no relation feeding her more and more lies about her life. Whenever she and Yang would spend time together, just the two of them, and talk about life, the cute new boy in class, or whatever they felt like talking about. Or the day when Yang had tried to teach Ruby a bit more about hand-to-hand combat, only for them to be ambushed by an Ursa. And the moment they'd shared afterward when Yang had told her that she would always be there for her. Those were the times when she had never felt closer to her big sister. Ruby saw now that their entire relationship had been based upon nothing but lies and falsehoods.

Maybe Taiyang and Qrow had a good reason for what they did. Summer had agreed to it, at least, and Ruby knew that she would have never done something like this if it wasn't the best option. Ruby was simply having a hard time seeing the positives at the moment.

As was Yang, apparently. Never in all her life had Ruby ever seen her so angry. When she left, Yang looked ready to kill Qrow. She definitely wanted to hurt him. That might have partly been why she had run out so fast. Ruby hated to see her sister in pain, even if now she wasn't her sister.

She continued to run through the city, eventually finding herself at the gates of the Kingdom. She ground to a halt, staring out into the forest beyond the walls. She considered turning around, going back, letting bygones be bygones. However, she wasn't so sure that Qrow deserved to be forgiven. He certainly didn't seem like he even wanted to be. In fact, everything he had said made it appear like he wanted them to hate him. Like he was asking for some kind of punishment for getting Summer killed and lying about being Ruby's father.

Her faint sobs caused an elderly farmer to stop and ask, "Are you alright, dear?"

She wiped her eyes and smiled at the old man. "Yeah, I'm fine," she sniffed. "Just a misunderstanding with my father."

"You're not in any kind of trouble, are you? He didn't hurt you, did he?" he inquired, worriedly.

Ruby shook her head. "No, nothing like that. I just found out that he hasn't been completely honest with me about some things."

"Well, you can never know anyone entirely. Especially when it comes to family. But whatever he did or didn't tell you, I'm sure he had a reason for it. Might not have been a good reason, but a reason nonetheless."

"Yeah...maybe," she agreed halfheartedly. "I just need some fresh air to clear my head."

The farmer nodded. "Well, you'll find plenty of that out there," he said, gesturing to the gate. "Just be careful, there's quite a few nasty Grimm wanderin' about."

She dried her eyes and smiled again. "Thanks. I will."

He turned and resumed walking into the city. "Hope you get things straightened out with your father."

Ruby faced the gate yet again, contemplating whether or not she should risk going out without warning anyone. She reached into her pouch and retrieved her scroll. Turning it on, she flipped to the Contacts screen. Her finger hovered over Jaune's icon for a few seconds. She should at least tell her best friend where she was going, shouldn't she? She pondered silently before making up her mind. Putting the device away, she stepped out into the wild country that was Mistral.

"Screw it," she said.

* * *

To say that Qrow's account of the night's happenings had shocked and rocked Blake and Weiss would have been the understatement of the century. He hadn't shared the story of Summer and his last mission, because frankly, it wasn't their business. Much to his chagrin, however, Ozpin had made him share the details of Ruby's heritage. The revelation had elicited more emotion from the heiress than it had from Blake.

"How could you lie about something like that?" she exclaimed. "Ruby and Yang both deserved to know the truth."

"It does explain the similarities in their appearance," Blake observed. "And the lack thereof between her and Yang."

"And what the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Yang demanded.

Ozpin spoke up calmly. "Yang, it was merely an observation. And an accurate one at that. Miss Belladonna meant no offense." He adjusted himself in his seat. "And to answer your question, Weiss. Qrow and Summer Rose's romantic involvement with one-another was their own business at the time. And it likely still is. However, when she discovered she was pregnant with Ruby, and that Qrow was the father, Summer came to me for advice."

Qrow furrowed his brow and leaned forward. "She never told me that. And why would she come to you? I don't remember her ever going on any of the jobs you sent me on."

"Old friend, while you and your twin were the most utilized, you were not the only agents I had on Team STRQ. Summer handled operations of a more...clandestine nature. But that is beside the point. She came to me because she was worried about you. More specifically, your semblance. And the negative effect it could have on Ruby's life. She wanted the child to have her father in the picture."

"And what did you tell her?" Yang asked.

Ozpin sighed. "Against my better judgment, I told Summer to do what she thought was right. And so she did. For about six months, Ruby was taken care of by Taiyang, Summer, and Qrow. Until the day my own fears were realized and she was severely injured as a result of Qrow's semblance."

Qrow hung his head. Every time that horrific incident was brought up in any conversation, it made him feel terrible. "It was the straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak," he said. "My little mishaps had been happening more and more frequently, but I was just too focused on the joy I got from being with her. I never even suspected that I would put her in danger."

"But you did," Ozpin replied, matter-of-factly. "And you regretted it. And punished yourself by completely cutting yourself off from the child."

Weiss, still confused, inquired, "But that still begs the question, why did you hide this from Ruby and Yang?"

"I tried to explain this to them earlier," Qrow said, earning a glare from Yang. "But I _obviously_ didn't do a good enough job of it then." He leaned forward and retrieved a cup of the tea that everyone besides Ozpin had been neglecting. Sipping the soothing elixir, he took a deep breath. "Raven and I never knew our mother. She died or was traded to some other tribe when we were babies. And our father was never around, he was a scout for the tribe. I grew up without ever seeing him more than once every few weeks. Summer and I didn't want that kind of childhood for Ruby. We didn't want her to spend her life knowing she had a father who could never be around."

The young women said nothing, all of them too engrossed in the grizzled huntsman's tale. Even Yang had calmed down somewhat. Her eyes no longer shone red with anger. But the lilac orbs still maintained a level of hostility.

Qrow continued. "So, after that last incident, I decided to leave. Since he and Summer were already married, we felt Tai would be the best choice to take on the role of Ruby's dad. I wouldn't be there every day but, as her uncle, I could still keep in touch with her."

Ever pragmatic and practical, Blake closed her eyes and nodded. "It does seem like that was the best option," she said. "Ruby's safety was always your primary concern. And I can respect the decision to give up your own paternal rights to ensure it."

Qrow looked at her. The young faunus possessed wisdom beyond her years. "I appreciate the thought, but I'm not so sure she sees it that way."

"That doesn't matter," Blake stated back. "It's a parent's job to protect their child, no matter what. Even if they don't appreciate it or downright hate you for it, you should always do what's best for them."

Ozpin spoke up yet again. "And I'm sure we all know that Ruby doesn't have the heart for hatred. She will come around when she's had ample time to think things over."

Qrow hoped he was right. He didn't know what he would do if Ruby decided not to forgive him. She was the center of his entire life. Everything he had ever done since Summer's passing had been for her betterment. Despite hating the profession, he'd become a teacher at Signal to oversee her training. Afterward, he resumed his spy missions for Ozpin. While it didn't affect Ruby's life directly, he did it in the vain hope that he could help end the war against Salem before the wizard dragged her into it. And it was an inevitability that he would, on account of her silver eyes. After the Fall of Beacon, he'd put his plans to continue Oz's work on hold. All in order to act as a sort of guardian angel for Ruby and her band of misfits on their way across Anima.

However, despite all his best efforts, Qrow had failed his daughter at every turn. She, like himself, had become yet another pawn in Ozpin's game. That fucking degenerate, Tyrian, had almost gotten her on the road. And now he was telling her that everything she thought she knew about her family was a lie.

It made him feel like shit. Both literally and metaphorically. He felt like an asshole for lying to her and hurting her. And the thought of truly losing her made him sick to his stomach.

All of a sudden, Ozpin's eyes glowed brightly for a split second, and he looked very fatigued.

"Look, I know it's really none of my business," he said, revealing that Oscar had once again taken control of his body. "But to me, it seems like Qrow did the right thing. For the most part anyway."

"What do you mean?" Weiss asked.

He rubbed his neck. Qrow could tell that the boy wasn't all that good at talking to people. The fact that he barely even knew them probably didn't help, either.

"Well, if Ruby was happy and safe, that's really all that matters, right?"

"That's not the point, Farmboy," Yang interjected. "Ruby and I trusted Qrow our whole lives. And he and my dad lied to us."

"Which, I've apologized for profusely," Qrow added.

"Well, pardon me if I don't give a flying fuck about your little 'I'm sorry,'" she shot back. "You can't just expect us to turn the other cheek after what you've done. It's your fault that Ruby is out there, doing God knows what."

As if on cue, Jaune stormed down the stairs, holding his scroll open in his hand.

"Guys! I just lost Ruby's scroll signal!" the knight exclaimed. He held up his device for them all to see. Sure enough, Ruby's icon was greyed out on the Contacts screen. "She's gone outside the CCT's range!"

Qrow shot out of his seat. "Goddamnit!" he cursed. "I should've gone after her when I had the chance. She's gonna get herself killed."

The reaper rushed to the front door, picking up Harbinger along the way. _"If something happens to her..."_ he thought as he stashed the instrument on his back.

Yang moved towards him, only to be stopped when she felt Weiss's hand on her shoulder. The fiery blonde looked at her teammate with confusion and disbelief in her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak but was cut off.

"If everything we were just told is the truth," Weiss said calmly. "Then Qrow needs to talk to her, smooth things out."

"But she's my sister! I can't just sit here and do nothing."

Weiss exerted a little force to make Yang sit down on the couch. Taking a seat beside her, she spoke softly. "And she's my partner. I love Ruby just as much as you do, but Qrow is her father. Let him have a chance to show it."

Qrow stealthily wiped a tear from his eye. From the door, he looked at Weiss. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Ice Queen."

The heiress matched his gaze. "What are you still doing here?" she demanded. "I swear, Ruby must get her doltish nature from you."

He chuckled slightly, nodded, and stepped out the door. Taking a deep breath, he began the unnatural process of shapeshifting into the bird that was his namesake. Black smoke billowed off his body as he shrank in size and he sprouted feather all over. When the transformation was complete, Qrow took off into the now midday sky, headed out of the city.

Ruby was out there, somewhere. He needed to find her. He needed to get his daughter back.

* * *

 **A/N: Again, sorry about the length. (Quit snickering and get your mind out of the gutter.) Next time the chapter will make up for the lack of content, I promise. However, it might be a while, as I'm putting all my writing on hold temporarily. I'm not entirely sure when I'll be back, but I'm not gonna let this turn into one of those stories that just gets abandoned, never to be touched again.**


	7. Racing the Reaper

**A/N: I'm back, bitches! Surprise, surprise, I'm not dead. Worse...I'm _married_. Anyway, glad to be back writing again. So yeah, get ready for me to get back into my normal groove of failing to write anything in a timely fashion. My high school English teacher would be so proud.**

* * *

How could he let this happen? Qrow's mind was racing about a mile a minute as he soared above the City of Mistral. He knew that he wouldn't find her down there, but that didn't stop him from looking every now and again. Arc had said that Ruby's scroll signal was lost, so she had definitely left the city limits. With the CCT Towers down, communications only worked in a limited range.

It just didn't make sense, she had never run off like this before. Not without telling someone where she was going or bringing anyone else with her. When she had left Tai and Yang without so much as 'goodbye' all those months ago to walk all the way to Mistral, she had done it with her motley crew of friends. What had changed this time?

 _"You ripped her whole world apart, that's what, dumbass,"_ a voice in the back of his head chastised him. _"_ _You lied to her for her entire life and then snatched the rug right out from underneath her."_

Right...that. There really were no other reasons, were there? He'd expected - no, _wanted_ her to be angry, to cry, shut him out, even hate him. But never in a million years did Qrow even consider it a possibility that Ruby would run away. But she had, and there was nothing he could do except to find and bring her back.

Easier said than done. He didn't realize how right he was when he said that there were plenty of places to hide in Mistral. Best to start where he knew she was: outside the city walls. Great, now all he had to do was figure out where of the myriad places she could have gone did she go. If only she'd left some kind of message with somebody indicating where she would be.

The autumn wind was harsh and cold against his feathers, but at least it was at his back and propelling him in what he hoped was the right direction. Swooping low to avoid an oncoming patch of clouds, he glanced at the city below. Citizens milled about as their days began. Part of him wished he could be one of them. Ignorance was bliss, and they were indeed ignorant of a great many things. Chiefest among them being the young girl out there, brokenhearted and alone, questioning her entire life and whether it was all a lie. Maybe one of them had seen her, or at least the red blur that blazed through the city earlier. Oh, what Qrow wouldn't have done for just one sign. A mere hint as to where Ruby was.

Wait...Was that...? It was! Down in the street, right through the center like guiding path from the gods, was a faint line of red specks. Ruby's petals, she must have left a trail when she used her Semblance to run away. Leaning forward into a dive, Qrow reached the ground in less than a second. Sure enough, spread about all through the mud, were hundreds of red rose petals. His heart nearly skipped and he wanted to shout in rejoice, but he was still in his corvian state. As such, he had no lips with which to make such an outburst, so instead, he settled for mildly excited _"Caw!"_

He had a lead! A reliable one at that, so long as Ruby kept running. And, by the looks of it, she had. Not wanting to waste any more time studying a trail that was getting colder by the second, Qrow once more took to the skies with a flutter of his wings.

 _"West,"_ he thought, peering down at the crimson breadcrumb trail every few seconds. " _She headed west out to the city. Back into the forest. Back towards that town where the kids fought that fucked up Nuckelavee thing."_

That was bad. Places like that tended to attract Grimm. Something about the innate negative emotions that surround a place that once housed people. It was why there was such a high density in Grimm activity in Mountain Glenn. The amount of residual fear and pain that emanated from the area was like fucking catnip to them. And if Ruby was headed straight for Kuroyuri, in her current, distraught state; she would be swarmed and overwhelmed in a matter of minutes.

Dead or not, Summer would kill him - hell, _he_ would kill himself - if that happened. No matter how tough the girl thought she was or how special those eyes of hers were, she would be ripped apart. He could not let that happen. She was _his_ daughter, Yang's sister, and the best friend to anyone who came into contact with her. He refused to let such an innocent and pure shining light be extinguished. Even if it killed him, Qrow _would_ save Ruby.

* * *

 _Bra-cow! Bra-cow!_ The thundering claps of sniper-fire were nearly drowned out by the deafening roars of the monsters that closed in on her. _Crescent Rose_ snapped back and forth between targets. With every pull of the trigger, the imposing sniper-scythe sent another creature of hatred back to the void with a glorious display of shrapnel and viscera. One after another, the seemingly endless horde of horrors advanced a few steps and were swiftly repelled by a well-placed shot. Let it never be said that the creatures of Grimm were not capable of pattern recognition. For even they eventually learned not to stick their noses where it hurt, it seemed.

Try as she might though, Ruby was still only one person, and could not watch all around her at the same time. Coupled with the complete lack of hearing, thanks to the mass of Grimm, her spacial awareness was reduced to purely within her cone of vision. At least, that was her excuse should anyone ask later about how a Beowolf managed to creep up behind her without her noticing and nearly take her head off. Before the beast could even take its first swipe, however, its innards became outards when the gnarly blade of _Crescent Rose_ plunged into the massive wolf's torso. Such a lapse in attention would've seen her penalized back in Miss Goodwitch's class. Here though, distraction spelled a quick yet agonizing death, courtesy of the teeming horde of nightmares. And she was nothing, if not distracted.

Distracted by the mix of sadness, fury, and confusion that tore her every thought to shreds. All the questions came at her in forceful waves and she could answer none of them.

"How could he lie to me? I trusted him," She screamed to anyone that could hear as the head of a small Nevermore exploded in a blast of gunpowder and feathers. "How could _she_ go along with it? Who do they think they are, not telling me something as important as this? I have a right to know who my own _...d-damn_ father is!"

The tears of sorrow that once lined her pale cheeks were now replaced with ones of rage. A rage that was directed toward every person and everything. Qrow and Taiyang for their lies and deceit. Yang, for not being there to help her through this. She'd sworn to always be at Ruby's back and support her. But where was she now? Back in that house, probably yelling at that...that jerk, Qrow. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she knew that Yang would have been there had she been able. But the shock of the big reveal, combined with all the smaller details that he had told them had elicited their own, similar reaction from her.

Another Beowolf charged forward, clearly having not witnessed or just not cared about the demise of those that used the same tactic before it. The fierce assault was met with an equally so counter attack as Ruby twirled around, swinging _Crescent Rose_ in a deadly sideways arc. The brutal weapon split the Grimm's skull in half, separating the top of its head from the jaw like a boy would dismantle an action figure.

Steaming, black blood erupted from the decapitated monster and splattered across her face and into her eyes. With a pained cry, Ruby staggered back, bringing a hand to wipe the acid away. Unfortunately, she backed directly into to mountainous chest of an Ursa. The towering beast was stood on its hind legs, letting loose a roar as loud as thunder and catching her in the gut with a crippling sweep which launched her into the air and through a rotted wooden wall. The heavy blow caused her grip on her weapon to fail, sending it clattering to the cobblestone ground. Her vision darkened as all the air in her lungs was violently ejected and she was pretty sure she felt one or two ribs crack. Aura protected her skin from being ruptured and would help repair any damage - that is _if_ she was able to escape, but it did little to lessen the pain from blunt-force-trauma.

She went into a vicious coughing fit, gasping and struggling to catch any sort of breath. A great deal of effort went into prying her eyes open. She was able to get one final, panicked glimpse of _Crescent Rose_ before it was swallowed by the sea of writhing, shadowed, figures. She punched the floor. "Crap!" There was no way she would be able to reach the scythe before she was torn apart.

Why on Remnant had she chosen to come to Kuroyuri, the place where she and Team RNJR had nearly died not three weeks prior? There was no good that could have come of it. But even still, here she was. Emotions got the better of her it seemed. She told herself to run, so she ran, with little to no concern as to where she was headed.

Well, it was too late to berate herself for a choice she made whilst not thinking clearly, as the mass of Grimm had begun clawing at her through the hole in the wall she'd come through. None of them were able to get very far though. The opening was simply too small and they were too big and clumsy to fit through one at a time.

"Small mercies, I guess," Ruby grunted as she staggered to her feet. Her momentary respite did not last long, however. Splinters snapped away from the wall as it started to give way. "I've got to get out of here."

A quick glance around her revealed two things; first, that the small building had no windows or doors to speak of, giving her no obvious means of escape. The second was that even if there were any other exits, they would have been useless. If the bulges and cracks that were forming across the other three walls meant what she thought they did, the Grimm had surrounded her and were attempting to break through to her from all four directions.

The cold reality of her situation finally began to sink in. The decision to run away had been made in an emotional frenzy and, like the stupid child she was, Ruby hadn't told anyone where she was going. Partly because even she didn't know, but mostly because she didn't want anyone following her. She wanted to be left to sulk and cry by herself. Even if someone did come looking for her, there was no guarantee that they would find her in time. Or that they would even head in the right direction. The sudden realization hit her like a freight train. She was alone, and she was going to die alone.

It felt like the air had been knocked out of her for a second time. Ruby dropped to her knees, wincing as shards of brittle wood tore into her legs. It dawned on her that she didn't want to die. Not like this, anyway. She'd faced death what seemed like a thousand times before, be it at the hands of Roman Torchwick and his goons, the White Fang, or even just the Grimm and it had never even fazed her. Now, however, there was no noble cause. No innocents that she was fighting to protect to justify her risk. There was only her own stupidity and childishness.

Death was coming for her. It was inevitable. There was no storybook hero in shining armor on his way to slay the demons and spirit her away from this horrid place. Her luck had run out, and she had no strategy. She was a helpless little girl, beset upon by horrors from all directions. It seemed as though fate held no favor for the young and innocent. The world didn't care how much she had to live for or the people who would be devastated by her demise.

She was going to die. Alone, terrified, heartbroken. Ripped to shreds by the creatures of evil. By the time they were done with her, she would be nothing more than a smear of crimson on the ground, if that.

Simply put, Ruby Rose wouldn't get her happy ending.

Like mother like daughter, she supposed.

A wave of pain shot through her thoughts. A Beowolf had managed to reach through the wall just enough to get ahold of her leg. The beast's jagged claws tore through her clothing and into her flesh, bringing with them a flood of agony. Blood began pouring from the wounds as she scrambled across the floor, soaking what was left of her stocking and skirt. Ruby didn't dare look at it, for fear of what she mind find; though she imagined four long, gnarly, trenches carved into her thigh.

Clenching her eyes shut, she pushed against the cuts in a vain attempt to staunch the flow of blood. She cried out at the pain but continued pressing down on the maimed leg. After a few seconds, the sheer pressure numbed the pain somewhat.

Vicious claws scraped along the floor. Thousands of razor-sharp teeth in the maws of the Grimm glistened hungrily with saliva. The walls of the tiny wooden shed bowed and creaked inward. Chunks of the roof fell and landed around her. The beaks and talons of Nevermore stabbed through the openings.

Ruby lowered her head. "Please, somebody help me," she whimpered.

Tears flowed like a waterfall down her face, her breaths were heavy and uneven, and she pulled her knees against her chest. In the center of the collapsing structure, Ruby curled into the fetal position, whimpering and sobbing as all sense of dignity and survival fled from her. She tried to cry out for someone, anyone to save her from the monsters that grew ever closer, but her screams were swallowed up by the din of hateful roars and screeches.

Paralyzed by terror and reduced to nothing but a blubbering heap, she squeezed her bloodshot silver eyes shut. "Mommy!" She cried as though she were a toddler having a bad dream. "Please, please help me!" The only reply that came was the sickening scrape as the claws of the Ursa that had previously tossed her about like a ragdoll barely fell short of her face. No soft, comforting words from a woman who was long dead. No warm arms cradling her to protect her from the evil creatures of nightmares.

The last shreds of Ruby's hope for salvation vanished as the walls exploded inwards around her. Horrible masses of shadow and malice stormed in as she let loose one desperate, final plea.

"Daddy!"

* * *

 **A/N: It's short, I know. But damn that cliffhanger, though.**

 **Yeah, this chapter is by far the shortest one yet. I promise I'll make up for it in the next one. Which, if you haven't seen the update on my profile page, will be the story's conclusion - I go into more detail about it there, check it out for the full reason. I just wanted to get _something_ out for you guys. Thank you for being patient with me as real-life things interfered with my writing. Sorry for the wait.**


	8. Love and War

**A/N: Here it is! The end, the - hopefully - grand finale!**

 **I feel like such an asshole for making you all wait so long for this. But, that being said, reasons beyond my control dictated that my attention be directed elsewhere. Namely, the giant fucking hole in my wall, a demolished water line, and my laptop doing its best impression of that one guy from _Scanners_ \- the one whose head exploded.**

 **In all seriousness, though, thank you all for reading this. When I started writing this fic, it was literally born out of me having just finished watching EruptionFang's videos on Qrow being Ruby's dad and getting Summer killed and thinking "Hey, that sounds like an interesting story." I didn't expect anyone to read, let alone _like_ it. Yet here we are.**

 **Also, I want to address the shift in POV from Qrow to Ruby in the last chapter and this one. I feel like you all already know how Qrow is feeling through all of this and there's not really anything new that I can give his mental state. Whereas with Ruby, there is such a dramatic hurricane of emotions and thoughts tearing through her head, it makes the story so much more interesting when told from her perspective. So that's why. If you don't like the switch, I'll give you the same answer my wife gives me when I disagree with her on something: "Eat me!"**

 **Alright, rant over. Dammit, I need to stop indulging my weakness for long-ass author's notes.**

 **P.S. (Son of a bitch! I'm not done yet.) Long chapter is long. This chapter really ought to have been split into two, but I felt like you deserved all of it at once. So, just so you know, when you see - CE -, that is where the chapter would normally end.**

* * *

Ruby Rose broke.

The terrified shrieks of a young girl were swallowed by the roars of demons. Shattered boards and splintered wood peppered her skin, drawing pricks of blood all over her body.

Time seemed to stop as the claws and teeth of evil inched ever closer. Ruby felt a strange new sensation wash over her. It was weird and alien, yet so familiar and still she could not place it. Not that she could even think at the moment.

A sharp crack beneath her warned her of the floor collapsing in. However, she had not the time to move to avoid it and instead fell awkwardly through the floor, her bloodied legs hanging up above her head now. Good thing though, as the sudden drop prevented an incoming Ursa from taking her head off.

The next few seconds were a blur of muffled sounds and nigh untrackable motions. She clambered to free herself from the hole in the floor but a massive pile of fur and muscle slumped over on top of her. The thing she now recognized as the Ursa was now decapitated, spewing a geyser of hot, black blood from its neck. It should have relieved her to see the monster's corpse, except for the small fact that it was lying atop her, preventing her for moving at all with its crushing weight.

She had little time to ponder how the creature was killed. Within a single second, several other Grimm fell to wounds of a similar nature. The tears that Ruby was shedding blurred her vision, so she could make out little more than glints of morning sunlight off steel as monsters were brutally sliced to pieces around her.

The vicious chorus of a blade tearing through flesh had a brief intermission when the thundering crack of a gunshot sounded. Ruby, still held prisoner by the felled Ursa, was showered in a steaming torrent of gore from some nearby Grimm. The hail of acidic blood and chunks of something awful pulled yet another scream from her now-hoarse throat as it burned against her arms and face. Her sudden outburst apparently drew the attention of her invisible savior away from the fight and onto her, if the crackle of aura and raspy groan were any indication.

"Fuck!" the curse was barely even audible over the din of the Grimm, but it did cement her assumption that the unknown fighter was a man. After yet another gun blast and the distinctive sound of mecha-shift she normally loved so much, he ran up beside her.

"Ruby? Ruby, are you okay? Are you hurt?" His voice was oh so familiar, and yet, she could not recall it; fear and the surge of chaotic emotions having screwed up any and all of her capability for intelligent thought.

"M-my... leg," she sputtered, nodding toward her lacerated thigh.

"If I can get this thing off you, can you move?" he asked frantically.

"I think so."

The dead Grimm atop her had begun to dissolve, and she felt him lift the massive beast up. "Okay. Get out of there!" he strained. No doubt the Ursa was still heavy. The weight having been lifted from her, she managed to wiggle out of the hole and drag herself to her feet.

She winced and cried out sharply as she placed weight on her injured leg. Blades of fire and ice shot through her entire body. Just before she could fall to the floor yet again, her footing was swept out from beneath her. Strong arms cradled her as she was carried up and away from what was almost her grave.

Finally free from her decomposing prison, and not under threat from dozens of seething Grimm, Ruby got a chance to rub the warm blood and tears from her eyes. The clarity of the world around her came back and many terrifying details rushed to meet her. Chiefest among them being the sheer number of Grimm that she hadn't seen before. They seemed to have multiplied exponentially in the few minutes she spent in the shed.

Although, the number of monsters held so little impact on her compared to the shock that overcame her at finally seeing her savior's face. It was Qrow, her uncle - no, her _father_! He came for her, to save her. Any anger Ruby had previously felt for him dissolved instantaneously upon seeing his face. Never in her life had she been happier at someone's presence. But how had he found her, how had he known where to go? Nevermind, it didn't matter. He was here and that was all she cared about.

As he carried her through the streets of Kuroyuri, more and more Grimm made themselves known. Whether by howls or jumping out from around corners to attack them. Qrow was quick on his feet though; ducking and weaving through alleyways to avoid the horde. After running for a few more yards, he slid to a stop, kicking open a cellar door.

"Get inside!" he commanded, lowering her into the dark, musty room. Yet another wave of pain clawed through her leg as her weight settled on it, though she was able to stifle the cry that came to her throat. Darkness enveloped them as he pulled the door closed once more, the cacophony of howls up above muffled by the thick cobblestone walls. "We should be safe in here... for now," he huffed.

Harsh light from his scroll cut through the blackness and stung her eyes. However, the uncomfortable sensation faded as the silver orbs adjusted. Through the shadow and dust clouds, she got a better look at her father. One of his sleeves was badly ripped, a trophy from his mad dash through the swarm of Grimm, though his skin was unmarred, thanks to his aura. Sweat and black Grimm ichor stuck to his exhausted face, the LED light causing it to shine.

His breaths were heavy and labored, more so than her own she could only assume that he'd flown from the city to have reached her so fast. And despite having access to avian abilities, it was most likely taxing on his body. Such an assumption was evidenced by the way his legs suddenly gave out beneath him. His knees hit the cold stone floor with a muffled thud and he let out a loud groan.

"You know what, kiddo?" Qrow wheezed. "Sometimes I wish you weren't so damn fast. I'm gettin' too old to be chasing you around all the time."

Just like him to make a joke in such a dire situation. The dam on her emotions broke yet again. Although, in place of rage and confusion, she descended into a fit of hysterical laughter and tears. Ruby threw her arms and all her weight around his shoulders, sobbing and whimpering into the crook of his neck. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I never should have run away like that." He said nothing but wrapped her in his embrace, squeezing her small frame against him. "I was angry and confused and stupid! I didn't know what to do, so I just ran. I ran and ran until I got myself stuck here. And if you hadn't... I would've... The Grimm-" He pulled her even tighter against his chest, cutting off her rant.

"Shh, stop talking like that," his voice was soft and caring, like those in her earliest memories of lullabies and whispers of love. When he would lie with her in the night until she fell asleep, warding away any monsters that made her cry. "You're fine now. I'm here, and you're safe. Nothing's going to hurt you."

"But... the Grimm outside...?"

"Are staying outside. I won't let them get to you. I'll die first." he whispered sternly.

The words were meant to comfort her, and they did for the most part. However, his final statement was said with such conviction and force that it was undoubtedly true. A fact which jerked even more tears from her eyes. He shouldn't have to die. If she hadn't reacted the way she did, none of this would have happened and he wouldn't have had to say such things.

"This is all my fault," she sobbed. "We're trapped here 'cause of me."

"No. No, we aren't. If I had been honest with you and Yang from the beginning, this wouldn't've happened." She'd expected such a response. He wouldn't let her take any of the blame, not when he saw himself responsible for her well being. "Fuck, if I'd just been the one to die in that fucking bandit camp instead of Summer, you and Yang's lives would have been so much better. What've I ever done for you, except bring you trouble and pain."

Ruby winced. She'd have been lying if she said she hadn't thought the same in the last few hours. For as long as she could remember, she'd missed her mother terribly. Growing up without her had been hell, and finding out that Qrow was in no small way the cause of her demise made that pain all the worse.

"For one, you two wouldn't have gotten dragged into Oz's little secret war. If I hadn't told you where I was going you would have stayed home, with your dad, where it was safe."

That thought had crossed her mind as well. It had been him that gave her the information that led her to walk all the way across Anima.

Then again, it wasn't Qrow who decided to form Team RNJR. It wasn't Qrow that had kept her going for all those hellish months. It wasn't even Qrow whose sacrifice she was trying to honor by going on this quest.

All this time, he was just an onlooker, watching her life play out from the sidelines. He wasn't the main reason she was here, but one of many. The true catalysts for her journey were the people she'd lost; Penny, Pyrrah... her mother, and the ones she was fighting to protect. If not for them, she wouldn't have become the Ruby Rose that she was.

"No," she said, her voice hoarse and raspy from crying and the dust in the air. "I wouldn't have stayed. With or without you, I would have found my way here."

Qrow's head fell and he loosened his grip on her. She shifted over to sit at his side, leaning against his shoulder. "Be that as it may, it doesn't change the fact that things would have been different had it been me that died. Summer didn't need to be there, if she hadn't come along with me I wouldn't have had to watch the woman I love die, and you would still have your mom."

"Losing my mom hurt, yeah," she affirmed. She had no clue how this had turned to _her_ consoling _him_ , but it had and she felt that it was good for both of them. "even if I don't really remember her. But you're important to me too. I love you and if you died... I don't know what I would do without you."

"You'd have your dad."

She shook her head. "You're my dad," she held a finger to his lips before he could respond. "I know there's a difference between 'father' and 'dad,' but hear me out. Please?"

He looked like he wanted to argue, but decided against it and humored her.

"My entire life, who was it that helped raise me, taught me how to read, write, and ride a bike? Who gave me my first scythe and trained me to fight? Who followed me across Anima and protected me and my friends? Who has it been that nearly died for me on multiple occasions?"

"Me?"

"You, Qrow. It was you. And if all that doesn't give you the right to call yourself my dad, I don't know what does."

Qrow let a tiny smile tug at his lips. "What does that make Tai, then? He was more of a father to you than I ever was."

She nudged closer to him, laying her arm across his chest in an awkward parody of a hug. "Well, then I guess I have two dads."

The smirk grew in size and a pained chuckle escaped him. "Now just hold up there. There're implications to that statement that I don't think either me or Tai are comfortable with."

There was that signature sarcasm that he was infamous for. Little by little, she could feel the tension between them lessen, and the mood beginning to lighten. All she had to do was push a little more.

"I dunno, he _is_ kinda lonely." She couldn't help but smirk and internally grimace at the thought of Qrow and Tai having a nice romantic dinner by candlelight. "He might be open to some romance~. Especially since he already knows you so well."

That did it. Qrow broke into full-blown laughter. It was hoarse and weak, but it was there. "Okay, now I _know_ you're Summer's kid. She always joked about me and Tai." The thought pushed her over the edge as well. The idea that her mother had joked about her father and her dad being closet gay for each other was just too rich to ignore. "But I think that _you_ are enough evidence that I don't swing for that team." He nudged her with his shoulder.

Once their laughter had subsided, the dark cellar fell silent, the only noise being the sounds of the Grimm the roamed the streets above, searching for them. The fact that monsters were crawling all over just above her head should have sent Ruby into a panic, same as it had not ten minutes before. However, at that moment, she could only feel safe and happy to be sat close to her father. Judging by the way his breathing had slowed and his muscles relaxed as she nuzzled even closer, he felt the same.

She closed her eyes and yawned meekly. She hadn't realized it before, but between being out all night looking for Qrow, the stress of the whole reveal, and her angry teenage flight, she was exhausted. With her head resting on his chest, she could hear and feel his heartbeat; it was calm, much like her own.

"I love you... dad," she whispered with a contented smile.

The last thing she heard before dosing off was his muffled hum. "I love you too, Ruby."

* * *

Ruby was pulled from the gentle embrace of sleep by a sudden loss of support and warmth at her side. With her eyes still closed, she felt Qrow lean her back against the wall as he stood up. He tried to remain quiet so as not to wake her, however, it ultimately proved to be folly. She groaned and she peeled her eyes open, rubbing the sleep from them. Her vision was no better, though, darkness still rendered the cold and musty cellar pitch black. The rapid tapping of rain of the hatch masked the wide yawn that she made.

Light, gray and dim, suddenly pierced through the darkness as Qrow peeked outside. His face, briefly illuminated, was tired and strained, as though the stress of the last twenty-four hours had him age by as many years. Gray stubble shadowed his cheeks and mouth, only serving to make him appear more ragged and worn.

His image was gone a second later when he pulled the door closed once more. Yet another groan escaped her as she stretched out, muscles and joints all over her lithe body popping as she did so. "Qrow?"

"Hmm? Oh, you're awake. Sorry if I woke you." he sounded worse than he looked. It occurred to her that he may very well have stayed awake, keeping watch, for as long as she had been asleep.

"S'okay. How long was I asleep for?"

He opened up his scroll and glance at the digital clock. The light once again making shadows play across the creases of his face. "About four hours. Honestly, I'm surprised you weren't out for longer with all that you've been through."

"Mmm. Well, I am a light sleeper." She pushed herself up off the floor, careful to keep weight off of her injured leg. A slight twinge of pain hit her, though, by the feel of it, her aura had done its job in her sleep, healing the gash. When she gained some semblance of balance she made her way over to where she'd seen him. Upon finding him, she placed a hand on Qrow's shoulder. "Have you been able to call for help?"

He sighed. "Nope, we're just outside of the CCT's range. So, unless they come to us, we're on our own."

Crap _._ There they were, her without her weapon, him running on fumes, trapped in a Grimm-infested town with no way to call for help. The situation could've been better. "So, what do we do? I may have healed a little, but I'm in no shape to run all the way back to Mistral. And, no offense, you look like you're about to drop dead."

"None taken. I feel it too. And honestly, I really don't like our options, specifically, the one that's in my head right now. But I can't think of any other way out of this shitshow."

Uh oh. Ruby had a feeling she already knew what he was going to suggest, but she had to ask. "What are you thinking?" _Please don't say 'fight our way out.' Please don't say it._

He sighed. "We're gonna have to fight our way out."

Darn it.

"Not just that, but I think we have to clear out the town."

Damn it. "Why?! Didn't I just say we're in no shape to fight? I don't even have a weapon. Why would we not just _fight_ , but stay to kill _every single_ Grimm in Kuroyuri?" The idea was asinine, even by her extreme standards.

Qrow lowered himself down onto the floor and turned on his scroll, providing the two of them with some light. He then motioned for her to join him. Once she had, he took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. "I did some thinking while you were asleep, tried to figure out why so many Grimm are congregated in one place. There's nothing in this godsforsaken town, no people or animals in the area for them to hunt, so that's out. So, what kind of force would be strong enough to draw them all here?

"Then it came to me... Salem. There's no other possible explanation. She failed to destroy Haven using the White Fang before, so now she's taking a different approach. One that can't be affected by human - err, _faunus_ \- error. You remember, she did the same with Beacon and Vale; her first try was the breach, her second being the one that succeeded."

No, it wasn't possible. Was it? There had to be some other reason; a spike in negativity or maybe just plain old bad luck? Then again, this was Salem, so Ruby had no idea. All she or any of the others knew of her was what Ozpin had told them, which wasn't much. "If that's the case, the shouldn't we try to get help from Ozpin and my teams? There's just no way for the two of us to take on every single Grimm out there. We'd get ourselves killed."

"That's just it. With no way to contact them via scroll, our only option would be to make a run for it. But there's no guarantee that we'd make it. More than likely we would get overrun and swarmed by the Grimm chasing us. Even if we did manage to outrun them, we'd just be leading them straight to the city." He paused and pinched the bridge of his nose, groaning at their lack of options. "On the other hand, if we stay and fight, we'd just get surrounded, like you did earlier. So, we're damned if we do..."

"Fucked if we don't," she finished. The harsh word visibly caught him off guard, considering the fact that she _never_ cursed. Though, she figured that the situation warranted it this one time. Ruby couldn't help but kick herself. Why had she been such a child? They would not have been in this situation if she'd been able to act her age.

"Y-yeah, exactly," he said. "If I'm being honest, I'd rather not risk all those civilians if we can help it."

Die, fleeing like scared animals, running for their lives or with weapons in their hands, taking as many Grimm with them as they could. Which one was the more preferable?

"So we fight," she stated solemnly. Such a simple phrase for so monumentally dangerous a task. But better to face death head-on than to cower and pray it was painless. Which, given that they were facing beings literally made of hatred for mankind, it would not be.

"So we fight," Qrow echoed.

The fear that had gripped her before started to creep back into her mind. However, she pushed back against it with all her mental force. Before she had been alone, confused, and angry, there hadn't been anyone to watch her back and she'd gotten careless. Now, she had her father, weary and battered though he may have been, he was still one of the best huntsmen on Remnant. With him at her side and her at his, they at the very least stood a chance against the horde above.

Ruby rose suddenly, the pain in her leg now little more than a dull ache, dusted herself off, and held out a hand to Qrow. "Let's go. One way or another, we're gonna have to go out there. I'd rather it be while a still have the energy to stand."

Qrow chuckled and took the hand she offered. "No hesitation, huh? Just gonna charge right on out there?"

"Well, it's like you said, we can't lead the Grimm back to the city, that would put too many people in danger. And we can't stay here, so we might as well get this over with."

She moved to the hatch. It squeaked as she pushed it open the tiniest bit. "Nothing's around, we're okay for now." She carefully climbed up and out of the cellar.

"Like mother like daughter, I guess," she heard Qrow grunt as he clambered up behind her.

The ruins of the small town were teeming with Grimm of all varieties, in numbers Ruby hadn't seen since the battle for Beacon. They roamed aimlessly around, occasionally stopping to investigate some sound or smell. Though none of them seemed to be focused on any one thing, and they certainly weren't mobbing together to attack Mistral. If Salem truly was in control of them, why was there so little aggression, so little drive to hunt down their prey? Unless... unless she did have them under her spell and was merely holding them in the area, keeping them docile until she massed a force large enough to eradicate the city and academy in one fell swoop.

The idea made her skin crawl. So many Grimm, the chaos they could wreak. The death and destruction they could bring. It chilled her to the core.

No. She couldn't think about that right now. There was too much at stake for her to get distracted and screw up.

Silver eyes scanned the streets relentlessly, searching through the mass of black figures for the crimson tool she needed. There! Some fifty yards away, across an open plaza flooded with beasts, lay Crescent Rose, cold and abandoned to the elements. Ruby's eyes stung a little at the thought of what all the rain that was pouring down had done to her baby. If - no, _when_ \- they got back, she would need to light a few candles and spend some precious alone time with the lovely death dealer, just to make up for how poorly she'd treated her.

"I've gotta get to my scythe," she whispered to Qrow, who'd knelt beside her. "I'm worthless without it."

He sighed. "You know what? The first thing we're gonna do when we get back to town is get Yang to start training you in hand-to-hand." The older man's knees creaked and popped as he stood. Harbinger sang as its blade extended outward, the shrill noise drawing the eyes and ears of more than a couple Grimm. "I'll clear you a path. Stick close to me and you'll be fine."

She looked up and smiled, nodding with a determined expression.

Qrow mirrored the gesture. "See you on the other side, kiddo."

 **\- CE -**

It didn't take more than about ten seconds to reach Crescent Rose, with Qrow cutting through the Grimm in their way like a hot knife through butter. If that knife had been wielding an even bigger knife and the butter was a mob of monsters, hellbent on ripping them limb from limb.

When Ruby finally got her hands on the familiar piece of weaponry, she couldn't help the sigh of comfort that slipped past her lips. In all honesty, she wanted nothing more than to sit down and caress the rifle/scythe, to coo and swoon over it for what seemed like the billionth time. However, such matters would have to wait, if the urgency in Qrow's voice as he called out for her to focus was any indicator.

Suddenly Ruby remembered where she was. Which is to say that she remembered that she was stood in the center of a town that was infested with beasts of all shapes and sizes. And every single one of them was foaming at the mouth, anxious to taste her blood.

The horrific squeal that Crescent Rose made when she activated its mecha shift was painful to hear. Disgusting Grimm blood had seeped into the mechanism, somehow bot drying _and_ congealing at the same time. The probably didn't help the weapon's condition improve much, either. Nonetheless, it shifted and formed into its signature, deadly, scythe format.

Heads and various other appendages were torn from the bodies of several Beowolves and Creeps as Ruby spun the weapon around and above her in a beautiful yet terrifying flourish. Oily black blood exploded from the corpses as they dropped. Silver eyes flashed, even as another Beowolf lunged for her, though the geyser that erupted from one of its brethren. With carefully managed speed, she stepped to the right of the incoming claws, bringing her scythe back down across its arms, severing them at the elbow. She didn't bother to finish it off, it would succumb to its wounds soon enough.

Facing away from the carnage she'd made, Ruby turned her attention to a threat that was even bigger than just a few Beowolves, both literally and metaphorically. A Deathstalker, a little smaller than the one Team JNPR had fought during initiation, crashed through a group of small buildings at the other side of the street. Upon taking notice of her, it began scurrying - if a creature that huge even _could_ scurry - toward her. Looking over at Qrow, she found that he was already occupied with a pair of Usra Majors, and as such, was unable to provide any aid to her.

"'Kay, guess I'm gonna have to play by myself for a while," she said.

As though it heard her over the roars of the other Grimm running rampant around her, the giant scorpion hissed in response. Breaking into a full sprint, Ruby charged straight towards the creature, shifting Crescent Rose into its rifle setting along the way. As she drew closer, the Deathstalker reared one of its massive pincers back to try, preparing to grab and crush the life out of her.

She wouldn't let it get the chance.

At the last possible second, right before the huge claw took hold of her, Ruby pushed up into the air with the use of her semblance, flying up and over the monster. Rose petals and dust rounds rained down as she unleashed a hail of gunfire. Some would have considered it folly to attack such a heavily armored beast from above and, for the most part, she would have agreed. That is if she were aiming at its body.

Her true target was the glowing, golden stinger at the end of its tail; the only spot on it that was truly exposed. A few shots missed their mark, skipping off the armored bone carapace that ran along the Deathstalker's back, yet they found different victims as they caught other Grimm nearby. The ones that did connect, however, certainly caused the behemoth a great deal of agony.

Its blood-curdling screech was like a knife in Ruby's ears as the extremely potent and highly acidic poison contained in the stinger poured out in a gloriously brutal torrent. Smoke rose from the spots on the bone plates where it ran down, no doubt weakening the armor and causing a lot of pain.

When she was once more earthbound, Ruby transformed Crescent Rose again, catching the golden stinger with the scythe and ripping it off in her descent. The Deathstalker writhed and howled in anger and agony beneath her feet. The giant pincers snapped and reached for her to no avail, trying desperately to catch and end her.

She almost felt sorry for it. It was merely following the instructions that nature - or whatever brought into being - gave it. Now she was pushing it into fight or flight mode, tapping into that most basic of all instincts.

Again, she _almost_ felt sorry for it.

With a violent warcry that sounded more like something Jaune would have done, Ruby stomped on its head and swung Crescent Rose over her in a fatal arch. The blade embedded deep into the Deathstalkers face prompting yet another wild shriek, this one accented by a sickening gurgle. But she wasn't finished yet, it wasn't dead. She was propelled back into the air with a single pull of the trigger. The vicious blade pushed up through the beast's skull with the force of the gunshot, tore through the brain and smashed through bone. In a shower of gore, the Deathstalker's head exploded, drenching her in viscera.

Flicking some chunks of meat out of her hair, Ruby jumped down to the ground. An action which had disgusting consequences, as the blood and gore from the slain Grimm mixed with mud from the rain, sent even more vile substances splashing up at her.

" _Ew, ew, ew!_ " she squealed, attempting in vain to wipe the stuff off her clothes but only serving to smear it in worse. "Ugh, great, now I'm gonna have to shower for a week _and_ buy all new clothes." She grumbled. "Alright, now I'm mad. Who's next?" On cue, a small Nevermore swooped out of the air toward her, only to explode into nothing more than a cloud of feathers a second later. "Somebody who can actually give me a challenge?"

If only she'd kept her mouth shut. Right behind the Nevermore, flew in a Griffon. "Oh... crap." Griffons were difficult for even the most experienced huntsmen to deal with, due to their flight and maneuverability. That, combined with their tendency to literally swallow people whole.

The huge Grimm screeched down at her, huffing and scraping at the ground.

"Yeah... no thanks," Ruby said.

She wasn't facing this thing head on, not when she had seen Roman Torchwick get wolfed down by one in Vale. Rose petals flew through the air around her as she ran its side with inhuman speed. One after another, her slashes with Crescent Rose simply glanced off the Griffon's legs, serving to merely annoy it. _Come on,_ she thought. _Something's gotta wor-._

 _Wham!_

The world around her darkened as one of its back feet slammed into her face. Stars danced in her left eye, as she flew through the air, and once again when her back impacted with a cobblestone wall. The other silver orb lost all sight entirely; it felt like someone had slammed an icepick into her eye socket. Blood ran down her face like a waterfall, oozing from her no doubt repulsive wound.

Ruby lost her grip on her precious scythe, mainly because she had also lost control of her body. It clattered to the ground next to her, her limbs were like jelly as she tried to reach for it.

The Griffon was not about to allow her the chance, however. With just as much force as before, it tossed Ruby out into the streets, rolling her back and forth. Its massive beak bit and tore at her skin and clothes, and the way it shoved her around rattled her bones within her. The Grimm was toying with her, she realized. It knew she was beaten and it was merely playing with its food.

How closely events repeated themselves. No more than a few hours ago had Ruby been in the same position; at the mercy of a monster, but with a wholly different mindset. Before she'd been terrified to die, she still was honestly, but she'd also been alone. Now, she had reconciled with her father and knew she wouldn't leave the world with animosity towards him in her heart.

Ruby Rose wouldn't die happy, but she would die at peace with herself.

She closed her eyes as the Griffon, having tormented its prey enough, reared back on its hind legs. It howled victoriously as it plunged its pointed beak down at her. She steeled herself for the rush of pain she knew was coming. Any second now... But it never came. There was nothing, all was quiet and she was fine.

Hot liquid dripped onto her face. At first, she mistook it for saliva. Maybe the Griffon had stopped to drool over her one last time before swallowing her entirely. That was until she opened her eye - for she could only open one.

Ruby immediately wished she hadn't.

Time slowed to a snail's pace. Allowing her to take in each detail of the horrific scene before her. She was still alive, that much was certain. The Griffon's mighty attack had never reached her, instead, it was caught and stopped. Stopped by Qrow's chest. Blood flowed from the sickeningly large spot in his gut where it had impacted. The beak poked through his once fashionable dress shirt, now soaking wet and stained deep maroon. More and more of the life-giving red poured from other small wounds all across his body. He even smelled like blood.

Harbinger hung limply from his hand before clattering to the ground. The beautiful steel was hardly recognizable now. Black Grimm ichor covered the blade and hilt, and chunks of meat and bone clung to the mechanism.

The dam holding back tears broke when her gaze reached his face. Always so proud and smug, he now wore an expression of pure regret and sorrow. His crimson eyes glistened as tears well up in them. He spoke so many words with that one glance, but above all the rest, rose one phrase.

"I'm... sorry," Qrow whispered with the saddest smile she'd ever seen.

Then, she watched in horror as her father closed his eyes for the very last time and the life drained from his body.

The cry that tore forth from Ruby's lips one that had not and likely never would be heard from her again. It was one of rage. One of grief. One of malice and agony. She screamed and screamed until her voice faded, as did the rest of the world, into nothing but an endless white void.

* * *

The cold autumn wind bit at the nape of her neck, even through the red hood she'd pulled up to shield herself from it. The chill shot through her body like a bullet, right down into her chest. It was always the same; every time she walked that lonely forest path, rain or shine, summer or winter, whether she dressed for the cold or not. That same icy pit always opened up in her heart, snuffing out any warmth that threatened to comfort her.

In all her years of visiting them, though, it never lasted long. She would sit, or stand, depending on how she felt, with them and talk about life. They always listened intently - it wasn't like they had anything better to do - to whatever she told them about; her latest contract, her husband's progress or lack thereof in schooling their son, anything that she could think of, really. After a while, the emptiness would fade and be replaced by the sense that she wasn't alone.

Although, this particular time, she truly wasn't. A tug on her skirt from a tiny hand drew her attention. Azure eyes met her single silver one as they peeked out from beneath a curly mop of golden hair. Suddenly, the lonely feeling dissipated as she gazed at the angel that was her son.

"Are you sad, Mommy?" he asked in that precious voice that never failed to make her smile.

Ruby laughed softly. "Not anymore, kiddo." She brushed her long bangs out of her face, revealing the black leather patch that served to remind her of that fateful day, eight years ago. "You always make me happy."

The child squealed with delight as she pinched his cheek.

"Come on now," she squatted down to be at his eye level. "I'll race you there."

Not responding or even waiting for her to say "go," the four-year-old took off running down the quiet dirt trail. She followed closely behind, though her gait was more a light jog than a full-on run. Knowing that the idea of beating her to their destination would occupy him, Ruby allowed herself a chance to breathe and take in her surroundings for the first time in a while.

It was just the beginning of fall, so the trees were a gorgeous mix of reds, golds, and the remnants of greens. The evening sunlight, already quite beautiful on its own, glinted through the leaves, giving the woods an even greater sense of warmth and color. On the ground squirrels and chipmunks chattered away as they scrounged for the last few nuts of the year to stash away. Peaceful was the only word that could describe Patch at this time of year. It was the kind of place that just made you want to lie back against a tree and sleep.

It was a good place for one to have their final rest.

After a few more minutes, she and the boy reached their goal; the treeline ended and they were bathed in warm golden sunlight as they stepped out onto the cliff edge. Near the very end, with roses of white and red sprouting up all around, were two stone slabs. The mere sight of them made her eye sting, even after all these years.

The first marker was much older, in memoriam of her mother.

 _Summer Rose._

 _"Thus kindly I scatter."_

Close by, on its right, the other was a bit more recent.

 _Qrow Branwen._

 _"If he loves his family, a man will make the ultimate sacrifice."_

To the average person that happened to stumble upon them, they were simple headstones. But to her, and any who knew them, these slabs represented not just two of the best hunters, but two of the best parents in the world. Both of them dedicated their lives to protecting innocents and those precious to them. And in the end, they gave their lives in that same pursuit as well.

Neither of them sat above anything, however. Summer was burnt to ashes and scattered to the wind soon after her death. And Qrow was laid to rest in a grave outside of Mistral by Ozpin and the rest of the company. Though, to Ruby and the rest, this was where they came to pay their respects.

Kneeling down between them, Ruby placed a hand on either of the cold markers. "Hey, mom. Hey, dad," she said, pulling back her hood. "I know it's been a while since I came to see you two. Sorry 'bout that, I... really don't have an excuse." She tried to come by every couple of weeks, though this time around it had been more than a month since her last visit. Maybe she'd been busy or just plain forgotten, she had no real idea why. "Not much has really happened lately. Jaune and I are still having to watch what we say, around the kid. Seeing as he repeats everything he hears."

She looked over her shoulder at the toddler behind her. He was sat playing with some grass. The image was so adorable and she hated to change it. "Rowan, honey, come here. Say hi to your grandma and grandpa."

The child's hand, dwarfed by her own, settled on Summer's headstone. The way he so curiously gazed at the rose symbol carved into it brought both a smile and a tear to her face. He was so sweet and innocent, so ignorant of the tragic events that brought them to this spot.

She had been like that once. She could recall days before Beacon, even before Signal, where she would spend all day long just frolicking through the woods, never once giving a thought to the horrible things that happened out in the world. Certainly not thinking that such things would happen to her.

"Grandma and grandpa?" Rowan looked up at her with confusion. Clearly, he didn't understand the concept of a gravestone.

"Mmhmm," Ruby nodded. She pointed to each name on the stones one after the other. "This is my mommy, and this is my daddy."

"The rocks are your mommy and daddy?"

She chuckled and pulled him in, sitting cross-legged with him in her lap. "No, silly. The rocks are just here to help us remember them."

Rowan looked down and began fiddling with the laces on his shoe, only really paying half attention. Like mother like son, she supposed. "Oh. Where are they now?"

She felt a lump rise up in her throat and her breath hitched. To prevent from all-out crying, she pulled her baby into her chest, squeezing him as she would a teddy bear. "They... They're somewhere far away. A place where they can be happy all the time... together."

"Can we go see them?"

 _Damn it, kid. I'm trying not to become a blubbering idiot and you're not helping._ "No. No, we can't. But they can see us, and I'm sure they smile whenever they do." She kissed the crown of blonde hair that curled and twisted atop his head.

He shifted in her lap to look up at her. "I want to meet them."

Okay, that did it. Ruby couldn't help but shed tears and let out a quick sob at that. "You can't," she said with a shake of her head. "But, I can tell you all about them if you want?"

That seemed to be enough. "Okay."

She sighed, thankful that she didn't have to explain the intricacies of life and death to a four-year-old. "Okay," she repeated. "What do you want to know first?"

"Hmm." he put a hand on his chin, an absolutely adorable action that he'd seen Jaune do once. "Was grandpa cool?"

 _Of course, that'd be the first thing you ask, you little..._ "Oh yeah, he was the coolest. He wore cool clothes, had a really cool sword, and, don't tell anyone, but he could turn into a bird."

The tiny blue eyes in his head grew three sizes and his mouth dropped open. She knew that would get him. Rowan and Ruby sat for what felt like hours, while she regaled him with tales of the cool adventures of Qrow and Summer. Their evening finally came to an end when the boy drifted off to sleep in her arms just as the last vestiges of sunlight disappeared over the horizon.

As she stepped back onto the trail which led to their home, Ruby spared one final glance for her parents' resting places.

"I love you both."

* * *

 **A/N: There we go! IT IS FINISHED!**

 **So... d'yo hate me yet? My wife read this and gave me a look as though I'd just told her that I enjoy kicking puppies and pissing on orphans. In all seriousness though, I hope I gave this a satisfying and fulfilling ending.**

 **Qrow's death was planned from the start, so it wasn't just something I threw together.** **If you read between the lines a little you can kind of see where I drew parallels to Summer's death with his. If being impaled from behind didn't make it obvious enough.**

 **For anyone confused about the transition from present to future there at the end, think of it as a sort of epilogue. I intentionally left the immediate results of Qrow's demise ambiguous for you to make your own assumptions as to how different characters would react. Similarly to how Volume three ended. Ruby used her eyes, and we have to put together the pieces ourselves.**

 **That being said, I didn't want to leave it all bleak and grim. So I gave a look into Ruby's future where she's happily married - to Jaune. Lancaster for life! -, has a kid and generally gets the happy ending she always wanted.**

 **So, yeah. I hope you enjoyed reading Scattered Petals. I've already got another story called A Stark Contrast in the works, so look out for that.**

 **Terrence, out.**


End file.
